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When Jessica Mazias walks into the operating room today, she carries more than a decade of experience and a connection to the next generation of nurses following in her footsteps at ����ֱ�� State University at Trumbull.

A 2015 Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) graduate, Mazias now serves as an RN manager of perioperative services at Mercy Health Boardman, where she not only leads surgical teams but also helps guide current BSN students through their earliest clinical experiences.

Each spring, sophomore nursing students from ����ֱ�� State Trumbull step into the hospital setting for the first time and into Mazias’ world.

“We take the sophomores to Mercy Health Boardman every spring, and Jessica coordinates that experience for us,” explained Kim DePaul, associate lecturer/clinical instructor in the College of Nursing. “She welcomes our sophomore cohort students for their first clinical experience in surgery, endoscopy and PACU. She inspires them and serves as a role model.”

For many students, that first day can be overwhelming. Mazias helps bridge the gap between classroom learning and clinical reality, offering insight into a specialized area of nursing that is often unfamiliar.

“Students have always been a great asset to the hospital,” Mazias said. “I hope they are able to see a different side of nursing.”

DePaul said Mazias’ impact goes beyond logistics. She takes time out of her demanding schedule to speak with students, answer questions and share her passion for perioperative care.

“She wants to pay it forward and inspire the next generation of nurses,” DePaul said.

Mazias’ journey to nursing began as a nontraditional student, drawn to the program’s supportive environment.

“I liked the small community feel of KSU Trumbull,” she said. “It felt like an inclusive program. There were many nontraditional students in my classes.”

That foundation, combined with hands-on guidance from faculty, helped shape her career trajectory. After graduation, Mazias worked two and a half years as a labor and delivery nurse before transitioning to the operating room, where she spent another three and a half years. She has now served in a leadership role for the past four years.

Her interest in surgery, DePaul noted, started even before nursing school.

“She had a surgical technology background, and even as a student, she had pertinent and thoughtful questions,” DePaul said. “She was dependable and had a strong work ethic.”

Today, those same qualities define her leadership and her approach to mentoring students who are just beginning their journeys.

For Mazias, the opportunity to work with ����ֱ�� State Trumbull students is deeply personal.

“My nursing instructors were all amazing,” she said. “I was able to learn so much about the nursing profession, and their own personal experiences helped shape the type of nurse I became.”

Now, as she stands on the clinical floor with students seeing the hospital environment for the first time, Mazias represents what their futures could look like.

“When students tour surgery on their first day, it’s a moment of possibility,” DePaul said. “It shows students: ‘this could be you in the future.’ Dream big and work hard.”

Mazias embraces that role with pride, continuing a cycle of mentorship that began during her own time in the program.

“I am a proud ����ֱ�� State University graduate,” she said. “It was a great experience, and I would recommend the program to anyone.”