National Park College (NPC) registered nursing (RN) student Kristof Waltermire received
the Frances Elizabeth Iverson Nursing Scholarship this semester. The award was made
possible thanks to the generosity of Peter van den Heuvel in honor of his daughter
Frances Iverson. It covers full tuition and fees for one year.
After spending years as a classical ballet dancer, Waltermire decided it was time
for a career change. He explained how the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic forced him
to consider other paths. “COVID hit and I am dancing for a living and I’m entertaining
an audience for a living, and while that is therapeutic in its own ways, it just made
me reevaluate life and say there is so much more that I could be doing.
Waltermire chose to pursue nursing because of his experiences with the health care
system related to his mother and his daughter with special needs. He praised the team
of professionals that helped his daughter. “Seeing the compassion and the care and
dedication and selflessness of her health care teams, had it not been for those individuals,
she wouldn’t be the child that she is now that everyone knows. Our story would be
very different. She is by far my number one inspiration.” He added, “Being there for
my mom and being with her through that journey of recovery was just confirmation that
I was making the right decision.”
Waltermire relocated to Hot Springs three years ago. He said NPC’s reputation and
the recommendations from friends who completed the nursing program ultimately led
him to choose NPC. “I started out just doing the pre-nursing program here as a way
to save money and then the longer I was on campus, the more I got to interact with
faculty and students, I was like, ‘This is where I belong.’” He said the campus scenery
is another influencing factor. “You are driving into this scenery and I don’t think
there is another campus in central Arkansas that could top the beauty of this campus.”
After graduation, Waltermire is interested in pursuing a career as a nurse practitioner
specializing in pediatric cardiology. “I have a family history of cardiac disease
and so I have always been hyper sensitive to that disease process.” His mother, father,
grandfather and grandmother were all heart patients. “We have friends who have children
that are heart transplant patients as well and have kind of seen their journey through
their rehabilitation, their rehab, their ups and downs.”
“I love kids. I speak their language. I love their selfless love, their resilience
to so many things. I think that there is a lot that we can learn from children. I
don’t think I could be the best version of myself as an RN if I were not in pediatrics.”
Waltermire said he also has an interest in genetics because of his daughter’s genetic
condition. He said participating in research as a nurse practitioner would be another
path worth consideration. “To be a part of break-throughs in medicine later on down
the road for children would be pretty rewarding as well.”
Waltermire expressed his gratitude to the van den Heuvel family. “Their generosity
has alleviated so much stress. It has allowed me to be a parent and a student at the
same time. I will forever be grateful for their generosity.”
