The American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s annual event invites students to explore federal policy and professional advocacy.
AACN will host its 2026 Student Policy Summit, March 30 - 31 in Washington, D.C. The two-day conference is open to baccalaureate and graduate nursing students enrolled at an AACN member institution.
Students who attend the summit are immersed in didactic program sessions focused on the federal policy process and nursing’s role in professional advocacy, including topics such as "Strengthening America’s Nursing Workforce: Translating Policy into Practice," "Advancing Health Through Discovery: How Nurse Scientists and NINR Continue to Transform Healthcare through Research," and "Making Your Case: Building Powerful Messages for Policymakers."
Three UMSON students have been selected through a competitive application process to attend this year's summit. They are (pictured, left to right):
- Mary Kate Dougherty, MSN Entry-into-Nursing student
- Eniola Sokera, Bachelor of Science in Nursing student
- Claire Vizzi, Bachelor of Science in Nursing student
"My passion for advocacy was born long before I ever stepped into nursing school. Growing up with elderly parents and as a Black woman in America, I learned early how fragile access to care can be for those who are marginalized. I saw how easily people fall through the cracks of a system that prioritizes profit over people, where people of color, immigrants, women, LGBTQ+, and low-income communities are often left unseen in decisions that shape their health outcomes. It was in those moments that I understood advocacy and policy are inseparable from patient care, and that nurses must be the voices that challenge inequity from within the system," Sokera wrote in her application essay.