Pictured Above: Luna Wick (center) poses with her son and daughter after the Spring 2026 Nursing Pinning Ceremony on Thursday, Apr. 30.
Luna Wick moved to Indiana from England in 2021 to be closer to her mother after her father passed away. The decision not only brought her family across the Atlantic but also into a completely new chapter of life.
It also set Wick on a path she never expected — becoming a nurse.
Now 56, Wick is preparing to graduate from Ivy Tech Community College’s School of Nursing. As she approaches the finish line, she reflects on the journey marked by perseverance, personal growth, and a belief that learning never truly ends.
For Wick, earning her nursing degree is more than an academic achievement; it’s allowed her to believe in herself like she never has before.
“It just really means the world to me right now,” Wick said. “I’m so proud of myself for sticking with it, even when I second-guessed myself and struggled with confidence.”
A new beginning in Indiana
Before moving to the United States, Wick worked in the healthcare field in England, where she earned a degree in health sciences and gained experience working alongside occupational therapy teams in pediatric settings. Her work involved helping families adapt their homes for children recovering from injuries or living with disabilities.
But when she arrived in Indiana, she found herself navigating a new country, a new career landscape, and a vastly different lifestyle. Wick could not simply continue the work she had done in England. While she had gained hands-on experience supporting occupational therapy teams in pediatric settings overseas, pursuing the same career path in the United States would have required additional advanced degrees and certifications.
Instead of returning directly to healthcare, Wick took jobs outside the medical field while she adjusted to life in Indiana. She worked at places like the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, in warehouse management, and others.
The time away from patient care made one thing clear: she wanted to find her way back to the medical field, doing what felt to her like rewarding work. Eventually, that search led her to Ivy Tech, where she began taking prerequisite courses online for the nursing program.
“I was working like 70-something hours a week, and I really missed the medical field,” Wick said. “Someone suggested Ivy Tech.”
The transition back to school after decades away was challenging, particularly with technology and online learning.
“I was almost in tears,” she recalled.
But support from faculty helped her find her footing.
“The Ivy Tech instructors have always had time for me. To speak to me,” Wick said.
With encouragement from professors and strong academic performance — including earning straight A’s in her prerequisite courses — Wick was accepted into the nursing program, and she found herself on the Ivy Tech Indianapolis campus.
‘Nursing is like learning a new language’
Nursing school proved to be demanding for Wick, both academically and emotionally.
“Learning nursing is like learning a new language,” Wick described. “You’re learning words that you don’t use daily that you don’t even recognize. You’re trying to pronounce medications … I do speak several languages, but still it’s like learning not only a new career, it’s learning a new lifestyle.”
From complex medical terminology to clinical skills and patient care scenarios, the program required discipline and perseverance. Wick describes many sleepless nights spent studying and preparing for exams.
Still, she found purpose in the challenge.
Wick’s clinical rotations gave her opportunities to connect with patients, particularly older adults — a group she feels especially drawn to.
“I think it’s my passion and empathy for the elderly because I was very close to my dad,” Wick said. “My dad was an older father because he was in his 40s when I was born.”
During several rotations, patients and their families expressed gratitude for her care, reinforcing her confidence that she had chosen the right path.
“I’ve had patients thank me and say they think I will make a fantastic nurse,” she said.
One of her favorite memories of her journey was when a patient asked Wick, “Will you be coming back tomorrow?”
Moments like that reminded her why empathy is central to nursing. Patients, she said, should never be reduced to numbers or room assignments.
“They are a person. They have a name,” Wick said.
“The Ivy Tech instructors have always had time for me. To speak to me."
– Luna Wick, '26, School of Nursing
Sharing the College Experience with Her Kids
While Wick was pursuing her degree, her two children were also navigating their own college journeys at Purdue University.
Balancing school alongside parenting created an unexpected bond.
“Being in school right now has made me a better mom to my kids,” Wick said. “I can understand the stress and challenges of academia that they’re going through.”
At times, the family even turned their academic progress into a friendly competition, comparing exam scores and encouraging one another to keep pushing forward.
The connection to Ivy Tech runs deeper for the family. Both of Wick’s children — who attend Purdue University — have taken summer classes at Ivy Tech while completing their degrees.
The experience has strengthened their connection while reinforcing the value of lifelong learning.
A Calling Rooted in Compassion
Wick says nursing requires more than technical skill. Compassion, empathy, and patience are equally important.
People who enter hospitals are often frightened or uncertain, she said, and nurses play a critical role in helping them feel safe and understood.
“You’re not just treating the patient,” Wick said. “You have to understand the emotional side, too.”
Through the Community Health Network Scholars Program, Wick has also gained hands-on experience working in an emergency department while completing her degree. The program provides financial support for nursing students while they work in healthcare roles and commit to employment after graduation.
“I get on really well with the nurses there, so there is a possibility that I will be applying there after graduating,” Wick shared. “I do get a lot of sitting positions where I'm one-on-one with patients. Every now and then, I get to do a tech role, which I find really, really fantastic because I get to practice and learn.”
The experience has opened her eyes to different areas of nursing, from emergency care to progressive care units and even labor and delivery.
During one clinical rotation, she witnessed both a natural birth and a cesarean section — an experience she describes as unforgettable.
“I got to be a part of delivering a baby,” she said, smiling. “And then, of course, I got to go into the nursery where I just wanted to mush every baby!”
Learning nursing is like learning a new language ... You’re learning words that you don’t use daily that you don’t even recognize. You’re trying to pronounce medications … I do speak several languages, but still it’s like learning not only a new career, it’s learning a new lifestyle.
– Luna Wick, '26, School of Nursing
A Message for Adult Learners & Non-Traditional Students
Wick hopes her story encourages others — especially adult learners — to pursue goals that may seem out of reach.
“Don’t let your age stop you,” Wick says. “You’re never too old to learn.”
Her perspective on life and learning was shaped in part by her father, who remained curious and intellectually engaged well into his late 80s.
“My father was close to 90 years old, and he read book after book after book. He never stopped learning, and he proved to me that you are never too old to learn,” Wick said.
For Wick, education is not just about career advancement. It’s about growth, curiosity and what she calls ongoing learning.
“A lot of times when I speak to some people who are my age, or even older, they think that the best time of their life is already behind them. But in actuality, there is no such thing as the best time of your life being behind you. It's how you make life. It's how you live your life and the ongoing learning that you do,” Wick said.
“There is no age limit on education,” Wick continued. “Studies have shown that [education] is great for things like Alzheimer's, dementia, because you are actually exercising your brain, and there's no age limit on that. You can go back to school at 80 if you want to.”
See how the 2026 Spring Nursing Pinning Ceremony and Commencement went here. [link needed] Hear from another non-traditional student in this Student Voices on Ivy Tech News.
There is no age limit on education.
– Luna Wick, '26, School of Nursing
About Ivy Tech Community College
Ivy Tech Community College is Indiana's largest public postsecondary institution and the nation's largest singly accredited statewide community college system, accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Ivy Tech has campuses throughout Indiana and also serves thousands of students annually online. It serves as the state's engine of workforce development, offering associate degrees, long- and short-term certificate programs, industry certifications, and training that aligns with the needs of the community. The College provides a seamless transfer to other colleges and universities in Indiana, as well as out of state, for a more affordable route to a bachelor's degree.
