Becoming a Pediatric Nurse – A Dream Come True

Maya Kidane’s dream of becoming a pediatric nurse began at a dance party, but not just any dance party. She participated in TerpThon as an undergraduate at the University of Maryland. The 12-hour party is one of America’s most successful fundraisers for children’s health. On the dancefloor, she learned about how nurses help kids. She and her friends danced the night away to raise funds for Children’s Miracle Network hospitals — including Children’s National Hospital.

Little did she know that Children’s National — and a unique scholarship program created there by William and Joanne Conway — would change her life and make her dream come true. She pursued two degrees at Maryland: kinesiology and nursing. She applied for the Conway Nursing Pathway Program, which accepted her and paid her tuition.

The Conway Nursing Pathway Program did far more than pay her tuition. It enabled her to work at Children’s National during the summer alongside seasoned nurse mentors. She loved her work in the emergency department and the heart and kidney unit. “Once I really got hands-on, working with children and families, I realized I couldn't work anywhere else,” she says.  

“The nurses that I had the opportunity to shadow, they were absolutely phenomenal,” she says. “Their passion, their drive and their excitement really motivated me and really helped me.” Today Maya is proud to work as a nurse at Children’s National.