“If Calleb wouldn’t have called me that day, the trajectory of my life would have been completely different,” said Shalyn Monsees.
Her path to Northwestern Oklahoma State University almost did not happen. Monsees had planned to attend the University of Central Oklahoma. The Monday after she graduated from Beaver (Oklahoma) High School, she received a phone call that changed her plans.
Calleb Mosburg, Vice President for Student Services and Enrollment Management, reached out after encouragement from his mother-in-law who happened to be Monsees’ neighbor. He asked Monsees why she was not planning to attend Northwestern. That conversation quickly turned into an opportunity she could not pass up: the Oklahoma Academic Scholars Award, which provides scholarships to academically outstanding students. The program is intended to keep Oklahoma’s best high school students in state for college, and it worked for Monsees.
“When that phone call was made to offer the scholarship to her, she was one of seven students who received it that year,” said Mosburg. “She had no clue of the implications and the opportunities that were awaiting her. I didn’t realize how big of an impact it would have on her, but I knew this was a student who needed a chance and she would run with it.”
Passion for Caring
Long before attending Northwestern, Monsees was comfortable taking care of people and knew she was going to pursue a career in health care.
“As a kid, I remember helping my friends with scrapes or cuts, and it always felt so natural,” she said.
As a child, Monsees was diagnosed with asthma and was treated by nurse practitioner Susan Trippett, also a Northwestern graduate, who made a lasting impression on her. This experience helped shape her decision to go into healthcare and later continue her education.
Monsees has been working since she was 13 years old, which she credits for shaping her work ethic. Growing up in a low-income, single-parent household, she knew if she wanted to go to college she would need to make it happen herself. She did just that, graduating as the high school valedictorian and earning the financial support she needed.
A Northwestern Advantage
At Northwestern, Monsees found more than just a place to earn a degree. She found people who invested in her.
“Because of the small class sizes, I was able to make strong connections with my professors,” she said. “They were able to write letters of recommendation and also help find me job opportunities.”
Those opportunities came early. During her clinicals in Enid, Oklahoma, at St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center, she cultivated relationships that led to a full-time job after graduation.
During college she worked as a certified nurse assistant at Share Medical Center in Alva. That experience gave her a strong foundation and helped her understand patient care at its most basic level.
Stepping Into Her Role
After earning her bachelor’s degree in 2019, Monsees worked as an intensive care unit nurse and house supervisor for St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center. During the COVID 19 pandemic, she realized that instead of reacting to illness, she wanted to be on the preventive side of medicine.
While continuing to work as a house supervisor, she returned to Northwestern to pursue her Doctor of Nursing Practice degree, which she completed in 2024.
“I wanted to go into family medicine so I could diagnose conditions like diabetes early and help patients prevent long-term complications.”
In December 2024, Monsees accepted the role of a family nurse practitioner at St. Mary’s Physician Associates in Enid.
Monsees says her favorite part of being a nurse practitioner is the connection with her patients and being able to see their progress over time.
Life Beyond the Clinic
Monsees and her husband, Alec, also a Northwestern graduate, reside in Enid. Alec is the assistant vice president/loan officer at ACB Bank. The two enjoy traveling and being involved in their community.
Monsees serves on the Enid YWCA Board, which supports women and children who are escaping domestic violence. She is involved with the Junior Welfare League and is a graduate of Leadership Greater Enid.
Her connection to Northwestern remains strong. She returned to the Alva campus for the first Ranger2Ranger mentoring event in 2025, meeting with students who are on similar paths. She has also spoken at a Northwestern Nursing White Coat Ceremony, encouraging future nurses.
“I was able to encourage the next generation of nurses and show them what they can look forward to.”
Looking back, Monsees knows how much one moment can matter.
For students who are trying to find their own paths, her advice is to build a strong support system and surround yourself with people who want to see you succeed.
That support can come from unexpected places. And sometimes, all it takes is one phone call to change a life.
“Shalyn is a shining example of the Ranger Family and, for me, I am extremely blessed to have been a part of her journey,” said Mosburg “She and Alec are amazing young professionals and I know they have worked extremely hard to build upon the opportunities with which they have been blessed.”