YOUNGSTOWN - It's been more than 100 years since the last pandemic, making this a moment in history. And as you can imagine for those heading into the medical field, it's a scary and interesting time.

Monday evening, YSU held its annual "White Coat Ceremony" virtually to celebrate sophomore nursing students as they prepare to begin their clinical rotations and step foot for the first time in a real medical setting.

"I don't think it has hit me yet. I think it will really tomorrow when I actually get to go into the hospital and see what they have been dealing with this whole time with covid," said student Brooke Morgan.

Morgan decided at a young age she wanted to work in the medical field and said that seeing this pandemic unfold has not deterred her.

"I think, if anything, it's pushed me to do better because I want what's best for the patients and taking care of them despite the pandemic is still very important," said Morgan.

Student Sydney Hurd is also feeling the first-day jitters.

"I'm a little bit nervous anyway because this is my first time with actual patients," said Hurd. But Hurd said she is ready to stand alongside other nurses on the frontlines.

"It made me kind of want to do it more because I saw my sister, who just graduated in May, I saw her jump into the field and basically have all of this thrown on to her and it really showed me how much dedication, effort and hard work nurses put in," said Hurd.

And while these students may not graduate for a couple of years yet, they are not alone in their drive to help others.

Officials with YSU's nursing school said that for next year, there is an increased interest in their nursing program.