SIUE Nursing Students Host Roundtable with Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski
Students discussed the importance of preventative care and affordability, among other concerns.
EDWARDSVILLE - SIUE nursing students sat in on a roundtable discussion with Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski.
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On Monday, Oct. 13, 2025, five students from SIUE’s Department of Nursing spoke with Budzinski about their experiences in the healthcare industry and the policies that would help them. Student loans, safety in hospital settings, and the importance of preventative care were a few of the main topics that students addressed.
“I enjoyed the opportunity to visit with the nursing students at SIUE,” Budzinski said. “They're amazing young women, all going into a profession where we know, in particular, we have a nursing shortage in all of our communities. So I applaud them for the work that they're doing and the work that they're going to continue to do.”
Budzinski opened the roundtable by noting that she believes there is a “crisis in our healthcare system that is only going to get exponentially worse.” She acknowledged the nursing shortage and asked the students about their experiences working in healthcare so far.
Students Kaelyn Cupil, Melanie Kantzioris, Olivia Morgan, Chloe Stark and Samantha Story are all expected to graduate in May 2026. Many of them shared that comprehensive and preventative care are the biggest priorities they want to see in healthcare.
Students and Budzinski recognized the intersections between lack of access to healthcare, food and transportation. Budzinski spoke about her concerns regarding food insecurity as many people lose access to SNAP and WIC benefits.
Morgan highlighted the importance of preventative care, which requires access to food and transportation. Kantzioris and Stark shared that they worked in East St. Louis and saw firsthand the needs that many of their patients experienced.
“When most people think of East St Louis, they think danger, like, be careful when you go there. But nobody really takes the time to question, why? Why is that like that?” Stark said. “It's because these communities are set up in a way where they're not able to prosper. They're not able to have access to these foods. They're not able to have healthcare. These generations of families are being born into these conditions of fight or flight, where they're just trying to survive.”
Students also spoke about their safety in healthcare settings. Story shared that she has worked with patients who have become violent toward her. The students agreed that staffing ratios are a major concern for them and their safety.
Budzinski asked the students about their experience with student loans and the cost of living. Most of the students shared that they have taken out student loans.
Cupil, who also works at SIUE’s Financial Aid office, credited the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) grant as a major reason why she is able to stay in school. She urged Budzinski to work to maintain grants like this in addition to SNAP benefits and other programs.
“My magic wand for legislation would be to basically safeguard grants like that,” Cupil said. “If we lose those resources, then we lose those pathways to continue the journey that we fought so hard academically to achieve…I just want the things that we do have to be protected.”
The students also agreed that they want to live in the Edwardsville community after graduation, but cost of living concerns will impact their decision. Kantzioris shared that she feels “significantly” safer in Illinois in the current political climate, but housing is more expensive in Edwardsville than in St. Louis, which will affect where she decides to live and work.
As the roundtable concluded, students asked Budzinski about hope. She shared that she will continue to advocate for policy changes that benefit the healthcare system and combat food insecurity.
“Incremental change is still change,” Budzinski said. “People are very fearful. It’s a very stressful time. And I do think that some of what this administration has done wickedly well is there’s so much coming at us. It’s not just one thing. But I always believe that staying hopeful and keeping hope is actually the most powerful form of resistance we have. We can’t give up hope.”
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