PRESIDENT’S CIRCLE
Patient Treatment
Avila’s Excellence in Nursing Compelled Brenda Prince to Support her CSJ Roots their plans, and I really wanted to be sure that I could help foster that kind of education you can only get at Avila. The graduates coming out of this program are the nurses that I would like to work alongside and I wanted to support their education.”
After graduating in 1978, she spent
eight years as a nurse in an Internal Medicine/Oncology practice and the NICU at Children’s Mercy Hospital. During that time she realized that medicine was her calling, so in 1986 she returned to Avila and completed Pictured L to R: Nancy Seibolt, MD, ’78, Vicki (Frank) Hicks ’78, Rose Marie Fowler-Swarts ’78†, Brenda (Kern) Prince, Ph.D. ’78, ’86
her biology degree. She went on to attend the Kansas City College of Osteopathic Medicine. After graduat-
AS A DOCTOR OF OSTEOPATHY,
lege, the Sisters at Valle encouraged
ing in 1990, she completed an Emer-
Dr. Brenda (Kern) Prince ’78, ’86,
her to consider Avila’s baccalaureate
gency Medicine residency at Summa
treats every patient as an individual.
nursing program.
Akron City Hospital in Ohio. In 2007,
For 25 years, she has served her
“At the time, Avila was still a
she founded the Tuscarawas Clinic
adopted community of Dover, Ohio,
small institution—but it had a highly
for the Working Uninsured. A free
meeting its healthcare needs. This was
regarded BSN program,” Prince said.
clinic where she still volunteers since
a journey that started in childhood.
“After spending a weekend on campus
retiring in 2017.
and meeting some students, I knew
ther’s elderly family, and I spent a lot
it was the right fit for me. Avila made
the Avila community have carried her
of time helping to take care of them
you feel like part of a family—the
through her life caring for others. This
growing up,” she said. “When our
same experience the CSJ displayed at
compelled her to give back to Avila as
county opened up a community hos-
my high school.”
a member of the President’s Circle.
pital, I volunteered as a candy striper
with one of my classmates. I loved it so
caring for others have compelled her
probably be doing more with the
much. We ended up putting so many
to give back to Avila for many years.
University community in other
hours into that work because it felt
She credits the growth and strength
ways, but providing more support
good to give back.”
of the Avila Nursing program with
to Avila is one way I can accomplish
When Prince graduated from
inspiring her to make a larger gift and
that from afar,” she said. “If it wasn’t
Valley High School—a CSJ-sponsored
become part of the Avila University’s
for Avila, I wouldn’t have had the
school located in Ste. Genevieve,
President’s Circle last year.
fabulous career I had, and I think
Missouri—she already had spent two
“I realized what was taking place
that is something I didn’t know until
years as a nurse’s aide. She wanted
at Avila, and the growth there, espe-
I had the experience. I felt compelled
to pursue a baccalaureate in the field,
cially in the nursing school,” Prince
to give back.”
and when it came time to pick a col-
said. “I met some faculty and heard
“I grew up taking care of my fa-
12 Accent | WINTER 2021
The same values that drew her to
Dr. Prince’s shared values with
“If I lived in Kansas City, I would
Avila University | Be Inspired.
