“I have spent the majority of my adult life wearing one uniform or another for the U.S. Army—the largest portion as a paramedic. I always had the intention of pursuing my education; however, it actually took the combination of unlikely conversations, a deployment to Iraq, and a hard recovery from an injury to point me toward nursing. It has been a tough journey, but I am glad I took it.”

“From the beginning, I realized that between my responsibilities to my family, my employer and myself, it was going to be difficult journey. Has it been hard? It sure has, but not to sound trite, easy is rarely worth it. I’ve found that in this case, the journey is formative to say the least.”

“The staff and faculty at the School of Nursing have all been great. I’m a pretty self-driven person, but each professor has been skillful in directing my energies.”

“I would be remiss if I didn’t point out the value of the advisors. Fay Wood, in particular has been an incredible resource and support person to me. She helped me map my course and decide which classes to take online and what to do on campus. Without her shepherding, I don’t think I’d be as successful as I have been.”

Dave Stewart is a student in UD’s RN-to-MSN graduate nursing program. He is currently working as a nurse in the emergency room at Harford Memorial Hospital in Maryland.