Three Rivers Nursing students Kayleigh Blanchard and Mi Hoang were elected to the Missouri Nursing Students Association board for 2026-27.
Hoang was elected President of the six-person board and Blanchard was elected as the Southern Director.
Both are first-year RN students in the Nursing program at Three Rivers-Sikeston and are the first Three Rivers students to be elected to the MONSA board.
“I was honestly surprised when I was announced as our incoming president. In attendance, there were nursing programs from much larger schools like Mizzou and SEMO and I was certain the candidate from SEMO would get the win,” Hoang said. “I ran for MONSA because I wanted to build a community and to be the voice that advocates for all the nursing students across the state. I also wanted to bring recognition to our school and make it known that you don’t have to come from a bigger school to be in a leadership role.”
Added Blanchard, “I was honestly in awe and incredibly grateful for the opportunity. I hadn’t even planned on running until I got there, so being elected was something I never expected but am so thankful for. I wanted to step outside my comfort zone, get involved in something bigger than myself, and make a difference in something I’m passionate about. I saw it as an opportunity to grow as both a person and a future nurse.”
The Missouri Nursing Students’ Association (MONSA)is a statewide organization for student nurses in Missouri and is a constituent of the National Student Nurses’ Association (NSNA).
“As Southern Director, I hope to encourage more nursing students to get involved, make their voices heard, and recognize the opportunities available to them,” Blanchard said. “I want to help create connections between nursing students and make a positive impact on the future of nursing.”
All Three Rivers nursing programs offer challenging coursework, close interaction with faculty, and diverse clinical experiences. The programs have proven pass rates for licensure exams and high job placement rates. These rates can be found on the Nursing Program application.
Students must complete an application and meet certain criteria to be admitted into Three Rivers’ nursing programs.
Applicants for the RN and RN Bridge programs must have a minimum 2.0 GPA and a HESI A2 entrance exam score of 75% or higher. Additionally, applicants for the RN Bridge program must score 700 or better on the HESI ADN (associate degree nurse) entrance exam. Information on testing is listed in the application packet.
RN Bridge applicants must have a valid LPN or Paramedic license and be in the process of completing the first block of general education courses at the time of submitting their application. No specific classes must be completed to apply to the two-year Nursing program.
McElroy advises that all admissions materials, including official copies of transcripts from high school and other colleges, must be received by the March 1 deadline. Application forms for the Nursing programs can be found online at trcc.edu/apply. Prospective students must also complete a free Three Rivers application.
For more information, contact Sarah Lamb at 573-840-9672 or slamb@trcc.edu@trcc.edu.
