Alum Takes Global Pandemic Seriously

Aiken, SC (09/17/2020) — Helping people.

It may sound cliché, but it genuinely motivated Paul McDaniel, originally from Locust Fork, Ala., to go into nursing.

"I just wanted to help others," he said.

"Each and every one of us need help at some time in our lives, and being sick or injured is, for most, some of the worst times of their lives.

"I wanted to be someone who made people feel better when they were at their most vulnerable-when they needed someone to lift them up."

And that's precisely what he's been doing since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We are in the midst of a worldwide emergency that nobody alive today has ever seen," McDaniel said. "In order for us to step through and come out the other side, we have to work together.

"I hope that every one of us gets back to what is important in life. Life is far too short, and we need to live it to our fullest every day."

Although he just finished his degree in May, McDaniel has been working in a local healthcare facility since COVID-19 turned the country for an unexpected turn. Since then, he's been on his feet at least 12 hours a day, helping to care for patients with the coronavirus.

"I am seeing a lot of very sick people at the same time as seeing a lot of careless people that aren't taking this seriously," he said.

"It's heartbreaking, honestly."

That said, even after a demanding shift, he believes he's in the right career.

"There is the fulfillment I have after I get home and reflect on my day that was never there in my other career paths," McDaniel said.

"If I feel like I was able to make just one person's day better, then that's all the reward I need."

McDaniel claims the University of South Carolina Aiken School of Nursing taught him many valuable lessons and what to expect in hospital wards after graduation.

"If you aren't prepared to be a nurse after leaving UofSC Aiken, then you didn't pay attention," the member of the Class of 2020 said.

"The School of Nursing has made me realize that every day can be a challenge and that if I work hard enough, I can handle those challenges."

The program helped instill in him a sense of dedication, perseverance, and determination. These deeply held traits have seen him through some pretty tough times recently.

"I guess my biggest piece of advice would be never to give up. It's so much easier to turn around and walk away when things get tough," McDaniel said.

"The result of that is usually achieving nothing in life."

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