Oulaya Louaddi
Oulaya Louaddi is a student in the Class of 2024 Traditional BSN cohort. She has served as a board member for the Minorities in Nursing Organization at Penn Nursing for all four years of her program, serving as a Freshman Liaison, Vice President, and finally, President for the past 2 years. As a North African daughter of immigrants, Oulaya believes strongly in advocating for minority-identifying groups and contributing to the community both at a local and global level. In the near future, Oulaya hopes to begin a role in an Intensive Care Unit here on the east coast and has high hopes for a future in healthcare and advocacy.
What's your favorite place to eat on campus or in the city?
Nam’s Vietnamese Kitchen (great lunch special!) and Gran Caffe L’Aquila for more special occasions!
What's your favorite non-required or elective class?
Readings in Korean History with Prof. Seok Lee (such a great and fun professor, I’d take any course he teaches)
What's your favorite Penn perk (e.g. access to museum, ICA, athletics, Arboretum, etc)?
My most recent favorite Penn perk is access to Pottruck. I’m by no means a bodybuilder, but I’ve found that the 3rd floor of the gym is a cool, quiet and chill place to just try to stay in shape.
What's your favorite place on campus?
Biotech Library is the best study place hands down, otherwise, I love the tennis courts!
What's your favorite Penn activity / hobby outside of class (e.g. on-campus groups, clubs, athletics, volunteering, etc)?
Running and hanging out with the Minorities in Nursing Organization (MNO)!
The most memorable moment I've had at Penn Nursing so far is...?
Reviving the Red and White Ball with MNO is an experience I will always remember. It took so much hard work and coordination with my board, but the results were so rewarding and everyone had such a great time. I look forward to seeing how MNO carries on the tradition even bigger and better in the years to come!
Is there anything that you wish you knew before coming to Penn?
Get involved in as much as possible early on! Even though it’s not possible to be active member in many clubs or organizations, just being able to participate in a variety of student activities year after year from a diverse number of students can make your experience that much more unique and rich. Don’t be afraid to just show up to events, you’ll be happy you did!
What is something that you really like about your program of study?
I really like the flexibility of the traditional BSN program at Penn Nursing. Compared to other programs, there is a lot of space in our study plan to make for students to take classes across Penn. Thanks to this, I was able to pursue two minors in Global Health and East Asian Languages and Civilizations which I would not have been able to do anywhere else as a nursing major.
What's your favorite thing about your cohort and/or the community at Penn?
My cohort was the high school grads of 2020, right in the middle of the pandemic. Because of this, we have a really unique bond, and I remember how our cohort GroupMe that we are all a part of was such a highlight in what was such an unusual, and sometimes sad, freshman year at home. We have an experience unlike any other cohort, and I think that we were able to come out of the challenges stronger because we were collaborative in finding solutions and helping each other through the changes and uncertainties throughout our program.
What or who has inspired you the most while pursuing your degree, and why?
My parents have inspired me the most while pursuing my degree. I come from an immigrant family and while they have always wanted the best for me, I have always had high expectations of myself regardless and I always strive to make them proud. I am happy that I’ve been able to do that in my time at Penn with their unwavering support, and I hope to continue to do so in my future as well.
