Alumni distinction: Aldreen Venzon
From bedside nursing to research, alumnus advances career as health data scientist
Aldreen Venzon is a 2017 graduate of the master’s-degree leadership program and now seeks to earn a doctoral degree at the School of Nursing.
As a bedside nurse in New Jersey, Aldreen Venzon loved experiencing how his care could directly impact another human being. But his desire to contribute to patients on a larger scale prompted him to move across country and enter the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis.
“I went out of my comfort zone, but I believe doing that is the next step to being better and learning more,” says Venzon, a Class of 2017 alumnus of the master’s-degree leadership program. “Completing the program gave me the job I have now. I’m happy that my education actually influenced my career.”
Venzon is a senior data analyst for Cerner Corporation, a global technology company that develops electronic health record solutions to share data and streamline processes within health systems. He credits the research skills he learned at the School of Nursing with enabling him to be the health data scientist he always envisioned he would be.
“Doing independent research is a skill I never thought would come in handy. It’s truly academic, but it is so transferable into work in the real world,” Venzon explains. “Every day I gather data, transform it into knowledge and give it to leadership, so they can make informed decisions on what is best for patients.”
Not only do his employers value his education, but Venzon values the networking opportunities he gained through faculty and fellow students and constant support he received in, what he calls, a “culture of noncompetition.” His School of Nursing experience opened his eyes to future academic pursuits. This fall, he returned to UC Davis and now works toward a Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing Science and Health-Care Leadership.
“I’m very fortunate and blessed to be where I am right now,” Venzon says. “Coming to the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing was definitely a turning point in my life. It’s the best decision I ever made.”
