Although Sophia and Alana Savian grew up as twins in Rosemount, Minnesota, they made their decisions to study nursing separately.
“I wanted to do the physical therapy program initially,” Alana says. “I took a class in high school where we had multiple healthcare workers come in to talk to us. The nurse practitioner who spoke to us was interesting and that’s what made me want to go to Marquette.”
“We applied to a lot of schools, and we toured a lot of them,” Sophia says. “I didn’t apply for nursing originally; I applied to be part of the pre-PA path. But then I became a nursing assistant in high school and that made me decide that I wanted to pursue nursing.”
Fast-forward a few years and the Savians have done more than just go to Marquette and study nursing together. They’re both certified nursing assistants and they’re also studying abroad and rooming together in Melbourne, Australia. While there, the Savians will take classes in palliative care, oncology and midwifery, among other subjects, as part of a nursing-specific study abroad course.
This experience is not always common in nursing school. A 2025 survey from the Institute of International Education shows that students in the health professions account for less than six percent of the total study abroad population. Difficult, mandatory courses and heavy clinical hours requirements severely constrain a nurse’s ability to study abroad at most institutions.
Marquette’s program offers students the flexibility to study abroad in either a semester-long format or on faculty-led short-courses. Because of that curriculum design, students like Sophia and Alana can have experiences they’ll remember for the rest of their lives.
“It’s a really good opportunity and I’m happy I chose Marquette,” Sophia says.
Both twins cited their time as a CNA as foundational to the people they’re becoming. They regularly helped older adults with assisted daily living activities, such as brushing their teeth, taking a shower and cleaning their room. Some patients the Savians saw also needed help following care plans.
The classroom provided even more pivotal experiences for the twins. Pathophysiology with Clinical Associate Professor Dr. Callie Chiroff, while difficult, was a particular favorite, largely thanks to Chiroff’s efforts.
“It was definitely a challenging course, but I learned so much,” Sophia says. “I seriously saw so much of a difference in myself after going through her classes. She had a lot of stories and experiences that she brought into the learning, and I feel like that made the class understandable.”
“I feel like her way of teaching and helping students totally knocked it out of the park. She explained everything so well and was there when you needed her. It’s a stressful class with a lot of hard things to learn, but she made it really enjoyable,” Alana adds.
The Savians are now more than 9,000 miles away from Chiroff and everyone else at Marquette. So far, they’ve been to the city’s main library and walked around Queen Victoria Market, a massive outdoor market in Melbourne’s downtown. They’re planning trips to Sydney and the Great Barrier Reef, as well as a few more spots they haven’t fully settled on yet.
“I think being siblings makes it more special for me because there are a lot of new experiences that we get to do together. It’s nice to meet new people to hang out with, but it’s also nice to be with someone you know,” Alana says.
