Julia Ramsey celebrated her latest accomplishment with family and friends last month.

The former Central Valley High School standout volleyball player earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Stanislaus State.

Ramsey’s quarantine graduation party was held at her parents’ house on May 31.

“Typically, when someone graduates from nursing school, there’s a pinning ceremony,” she said. “But ours got canceled because of COVID-19. My parents put something together. It was really sweet of them.”

Ramsey, 22, will begin her dream job at Memorial Medical Center this August in Modesto.

She’ll be employed as a nurse in the emergency room.

“I’m really grateful where I’m at now,” said Ramsey, who became a first-time homeowner this year. “I can’t wait to start working as a nurse. It’s such a privilege to care for other people. There are a lot of details you have to pay attention to all the time. I’m going to learn and grow a lot this year.”

Ramsey will work three days a week, 12 hours a shift.

“All the experience I’ve had has been in the ER,” she said. “I enjoy the pace of it. You have to be really adaptable. You rely on your team a lot. You’re not alone. That alleviates some of the stress that goes with taking care of more critical patients. There are some tough days.”

Ramsey spent three years in Stanislaus State’s nursing program.

She completed clinical work as a student nurse at Emanuel Medical Center in Turlock.

She worked as a technician in the ER for the past 18 months.

Prior to that, Ramsey was a student nurse extern for six months

“I took on as much as the nursing lead as I could,” she said. “I did direct patient care. I gave medication. I did IVs and charts.”

Ramsey attended Stanislaus State and Modesto Junior College her freshman year.

She had a cumulative grade-point average of 3.98.

“I went back and forth between both campuses the first year to complete all the prerequisites needed to start nursing,” she said. “I had to get straight A’s to get into the program.”

Ramsey earned her certified nursing assistant license during her senior year of high school.

“I worked at a nursing home my first two periods,” she said.

Ramsey is following in the footsteps of her older sister.

Laura Merriam, 35, is a nurse at Modesto Kaiser.

“She told me I had a good personality for it (nursing),” Julia said. “I like being around people. I have a passion for helping others when they can’t help themselves.”

A three-year member of Central Valley’s volleyball program, Ramsey helped lead the Hawks to new heights.

Central Valley had a 23-15 mark in Western Athletic Conference play and qualified for the Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs twice.

Ramsey earned first-team all-league honors her senior and junior years.

She was selected to the WAC Second Team as a sophomore.