The seven-member SPC delegation served as her campaign crew and had a day and a half to prepare. They quickly made posters, handed out flowers and buttons and worked along with other delegates from West Texas to help her win the presidency of the 3,000-member TNSA. The helpful crew members were: Reb Self, state editor; Brent Bolen, SPC chapter president; John Freseaz, SPC chapter vice-president; Eric Benson, projects chair, Andre’ McZeak, local projects co-chair; Royce Nava; Kara Heinrich; and Heather Rothwell.

“I’m really excited about being the TNSA state president, because it’s a good opportunity for me, and it’s very good for South Plains College,” said Strandlien.

Strandlien said she wanted to become a nurse because of her father, Donnie Strandlien. He was critically burned when he was nine years old when his older brother tossed a Pepsi can filled with gasoline behind him trying to build a fire in their fort.  Through the years, her father endured 50 major surgeries and she cared for him as a young child.

“My dad, who is in his fifties now, still remembers the nurses who treated him when he was burned as a child,” said Strandlien. “That inspired me to become a nurse. He always called me his little nurse.”

She had thought about a career in veterinary medicine and nearly completed a bachelor’s degree in animal science from Texas Tech University. But she decided to enroll in SPC’s two-year associate degree nursing program.

“SPC has a smaller nursing program which allows more one-on-one training, and it is a very good program,” Strandlien said.

She hopes to become a family nurse practitioner, be certified in adult critical care and work in burn unit.

Originally from Bagley, Minnesota, Strandlien graduated from high school in Conroe, Texas in 1996 and now resides in Idalou. She is in her second semester in the AND program at SPC.

“On a local level, we’re trying to become more involved regionally with more nursing schools,” Strandlien said when asked what she plans to do as president of TNSA. “On a state level, I want to recruit more people into the TNSA organization throughout the state. And we want to do more fundraising. What is good about the organization is that we get to have a voice on how we impact our profession.’

Strandlien will serve as TNSA president-elect at the national NSA convention April 6-10 at Salt Lake City and as TNSA president at the national convention April 5-9, 2006, in Baltimore, Maryland.