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Share thisFaculty Spotlight: Santhiny Rajamohan, Ph.D., RN, Associate Professor of Nursing; School of Nursing
Education
- Roberts Wesleyan College | B.S. | Nursing
- St. John Fisher College | M.S. | Nursing
- Roberts Wesleyan College | Post-Masters Certificate | Nursing Education
- University at Buffalo | Ph.D. | Nursing
What brought you to Roberts?
I am originally from Sri Lanka. However, as a result of civil war and ethnic conflict our family had to leave everything behind for safety reasons. God allowed us to immigrate to Canada in September 1990. A few months later, I met Dr. Lysander who was a member of the Board of Trustees for Roberts Wesleyan College at that time. He was pastoring a South Indian church in Toronto near where we were living. He told me and my sister about Roberts and brought us to campus the following May when he came for a Board of Trustees meeting. We got to tour the campus, meet some nice people and the rest is history! The following August we enrolled as students! I know it was God opening doors because when we left Sri Lanka we were not able to bring anything except a suitcase full of clothes. The grace of God is what carried me through as I was challenged with a new language, culture and no family nearby. Affording private education seemed beyond impossible, but we were able to make ends meet through God finding favors, work-study, scholarships and loans. I was grateful to be able to complete my bachelor’s in three years!
What is your favorite campus tradition?
You know what I love? I love the Monday community chapels. I try to make it there as much as I can because it is really nice to see students and people from other departments. I also like the Christmas Tree lighting event that President Porterfield started. I love the idea, and the fact, that as a community we can gather and get in Christmas spirit by lighting candles, reading scripture, and singing carols! Plus the fellowship, hot chocolate and cookies afterwards truly warms you up on a cold day.
What is your favorite thing about teaching at Roberts?
Our mission is to prepare thoughtful, spiritually mature and service-oriented people who will help transform society. I love the fact that I am able to share my faith in Christ and my love of the Lord with my students. I accepted this position because having the freedom to share my faith is important to me and Roberts encourages faculty to share their Christian beliefs with their students.
What has been the highlight of your career?
How God’s mercy and grace carried me through while I was teaching full-time, and pursuing my doctoral degree. That was the most challenging thing I have ever done because I was balancing my life (as a mother, wife, daughter, sister, friend, etc.) and schooling. I still share my story as appropriate, including my journey to the United States and those defining experiences, in the classroom. I feel that my experiences have helped me to be more understanding of my students and the challenges they may face. From doing homework and staying up late to feeling overwhelmed with coursework -- I feel better equipped to understand what they are going through. Being grounded in my faith and balancing what God allows in my path are the highlights of my career.
Student Insight:
Meghan Kettinger, Nursing ‘19
Dr. Raj challenges us to be better nurses and is an advocate for students. She not only works hard to educate us to a high standard, she also strives to make the nursing curriculum enjoyable. She teaches about important but often overlooked topics, such as self-care, and incorporates them into the nursing curriculum. She has made a very stressful semester manageable, and has helped us nursing majors get one step closer to graduation and our futures in the medical field!
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