Sabrina Charles DRC’24 Highlighted by New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy

This past January, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy gave his 2024 State of the State Address.

“With us today is Sabrina Charles—who will be graduating, with Honors, from the Rutgers School of Nursing this May,” said Governor Phil Murphy in his speech. “Sabrina is doing her part to help resolve our nursing shortage. And we are going to keep doing our part to support many others like her who are pursuing a career of service.”

The student Governor Murphy highlighted, Douglass senior Sabrina Charles DRC’24, is a nursing major with a passion for holistic and equitable healthcare for all people.

A student with a vibrant campus life, Sabrina is a Douglass Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Ambassador and an executive board member of the Douglass D.I.V.A.S. She also serves as a University Senator for the School of Nursing and is actively involved with her sorority, the Xi Nu chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated. The variety in her campus involvement speaks to her larger passion of addressing healthcare needs through interdisciplinary methods.

“I am very passionate about helping people and creating a greater impact on society through healthcare. I also have an interest in media, preventative health, and technology that I want to fuse into my career,” she said. “I know people are optimized and more autonomous when their health and wellness is at its best, and using various forms of outreach to help address these issues is a passion of mine. As a result, I came into nursing because I wanted to serve and help people.”

Sabrina has fully immersed herself in all college has to offer, becoming deeply involved in organizations across campus. Her work in the college community has offered her a well-rounded perspective, not only about how she can contribute to society, but how she can grow as a person. 

“The organizations I am involved in have all furthered my aspirations to not only help others but become a better individual,” she said. “Being a Douglass woman and a student in the Rutgers Nursing program has molded me into who I am today. These experiences have provided me with invaluable opportunities for growth and learning, and I am grateful for the impact they have had on me.”

As a Douglass Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Ambassador, Sabrina completed a program that puts students at the forefront of promoting inclusivity on campus. Ambassadors take trainings on promoting healthy dialogue, creating equitable spaces, and more. They then go out into the Douglass community to provide training to students in other Douglass programs and courses. From this experience, Sabrina has both learned and modeled what it means to be inclusive—a skill she takes seriously when working towards her goal of bettering the healthcare industry.

“As a Douglass DEI Ambassador, my experiences have been transformative, shaping me into a more empathetic and culturally aware individual,” she said. “I am now equipped with invaluable skills in communication, collaboration, and problem-solving, which are essential for navigating the complexities of the healthcare landscape. I've learned that fostering inclusivity and understanding in healthcare settings not only enhances patient care but also contributes to the advancement of the nursing profession as a whole.”

When Sabrina looks to the future, she sees a full range of possibilities for tangible change.

“In my role as a future nurse, I aspire to provide compassionate care to patients from all walks of life in a diverse healthcare environment,” she said. “My Douglass ambassadorship has strengthened my commitment to advocating for equitable access to healthcare services.”