Sandra MS '18, Health Services Management
Nurse specialist. Road-tripper. Lifelong learner.
How does the prop you brought represent you?
The steering wheel, map, and suitcase represent how I love to explore new places, meet new people and see new things. I love a good road trip! My goal is to see all 50 states and I have four left to visit.
Exploring new places leads to experiences and new adventures. It inspires me to learn more about the people I meet and the places I’ve been. Exploring encourages me to continue to learn, opens the world around me, teaches me different perspectives and quenches my curiosity. It fosters my continual learning and growing.
How would you describe courage in one sentence?
Courage is the willingness to confront the unknown
How did getting your degree require courage?
It was something I always wanted to do, but continually put off. As I was nearing the last 10 years of my career, it made more sense to just do it! It wasn’t so much courageous, but did cause me to face challenges that I had not done in a while. I needed to learn to write papers again, be the oldest in the class and change my lifestyle a bit in order to accommodate school. I left a successful leadership role and took a staff position in order to accommodate a school workload. My age proved to be an asset as I had life experiences that others did not and I could share some interesting stories.
How does your current job or career path require courage?
In my nursing career, I have always been attracted to intense clinical settings or cutting edge patient experiences. I started my career in the ICU and spent over 15 years in critical care, where every day was a challenge and often took me on experiences that would test my courage. As my career evolved, I had the opportunity to work in the field of transplantation, where I work with patients and families needing lifesaving organ transplants. It’s an incredible experience to make even a small difference in someone’s life and working in transplant, gives me that opportunity tenfold.
How did EU help you become more courageous in your thinking and actions?
EU truly opened the world around me. I was a suburban girl working in a suburban world – I recognized the world around me after my first anthropology class at EU while obtaining my BSN and recognized how sheltered I had been. It prompted me to explore and opened my mind to life experiences, cultures and beliefs of others.
EU’s mission of justice led to me to explore opportunities in underserved areas that I would not have previously worked. It gave me courage to find those lessons and experiences.
Where do you hope courage will lead you in the future?
To continually put me on the path of seeking out learning opportunities, opportunities for self-growth, spiritual growth and the awareness and courage to share and inspire.