Commencement

Dr. LaTonya Trotter Delivers FNU Commencement Keynote Address to Over 900 Graduates

Frontier Nursing University celebrated the graduation of over 900 students during the 2021 commencement ceremony held on Saturday, September 25. Dr. LaTonya J. Trotter, Associate Professor of Bioethics and Humanities at the University of Washington, gave a poignant keynote address, encouraging the attendees to continue the good work in their communities and chosen professions.

A medical sociologist, ethnographer, and author, Dr. Trotter is the author of “More than Medicine: Nurse Practitioners and the Problems they Solve for Patients, Health Care Organizations, and the State.” The book, which was published in 2020, chronicles a group of nurse practitioners and the care they provide for four hundred Black older adults living with poor health and limited means.

Dr. Trotter was awarded a Bachelor of Arts from Williams College, majoring in Sociology and American Studies. She earned a Master of Public Health degree from the University of Washington, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Sociology from Princeton University. Prior to her position at the University of Washington, Dr. Trotter was an Assistant Professor of Sociology at Vanderbilt University.

FNU President Dr. Susan Stone also addressed the attendees with words of congratulations and encouragement during her opening address: Dr. LaTonya Trotter

“Good afternoon everyone, and welcome to the 2021 Frontier Nursing University Commencement Ceremony! Welcome to our distinguished guest speakers, faculty colleagues, family members, friends, and, of course, our 2021 graduating class.

We are so proud of you and your dedication to completing your degree at FNU. We regret that we were not able to hold this year’s commencement in person, but we’re so happy that you were able to attend and enjoy the virtual ceremony. What you have achieved is an amazing accomplishment deserving of recognition and celebration, and we hope that you are able to share the special moment with your family, friends, and classmates. The past two years have been incredibly difficult for so many people. I am very proud of the determination and desire you displayed in earning your degree, and urge you to take a moment to reflect on all that you have accomplished, the hurdles you have overcome, the sacrifices you have made, and take great pride in it. I also want to express appreciation too, for your friends and family who have supported you on this journey. It takes a team effort, and we extend our gratitude to your supporters as well.

You have come so far, but I don’t have to remind you that your journey is not over. In many ways, it is just beginning. As you are well aware, our country and our world are facing not only a pandemic, but also a host of other healthcare concerns including drastic healthcare shortages, healthcare disparities, the maternal mortality crisis, and psychiatric-mental health concerns. No one person has the answer to these problems, but rest assured, you are part of the solution. You have all the tools, all the training, and certainly the demonstrated drive and intellect to make a significant difference and contribution to your community. That is what Frontier Nursing University expects from all members of the FNU community. We make a difference by answering the call to serve.

Much like your life-long commitment to serve your community, FNU makes a life-long commitment to serve you. You are now and forever part of the FNU community. We will always be here to support you in any way we can. We love to hear from you and to share your stories of the great work you are doing in your community. Please remain in touch and never hesitate to contact us. We will answer your call.

Again, congratulations on your wonderful achievements -- past, present, and future. I know you will do great things in service to others. Thank you for representing Frontier Nursing University and continuing to make us proud.”

Annual Leadership Awards Presented During Commencement

One of the annual traditions of FNU commencement is the honoring of students who provided exceptional leadership to their peers. Here are the 2021 FNU Leadership Awards winners:

Nurse-Midwifery Student Leadership Award: Family Nurse Practitioner Student Leadership Award:

Cheryl Appleton

MSN, CNM, WHNP Washington, D.C.

What are your career goals? My short term goal is simply to hone my skills and practice midwifery! I would like to spend some time becoming comfortable in my new role. Ultimately, I would like to expand my midwifery work to include health legislation and advocacy. I strongly believe that healthcare is a basic human right, and I want to work towards ensuring that all people have the same access.

What inspired you to become a nurse? I come from a family of nurses, so I feel like I was steeped in nursing from an early age. What really inspired me to become a nurse was my mom. She has been a nurse for nearly 40 years now! I watched her go from geriatrics to ICU nursing to the OR to teaching nursing, and I’ve seen the many ways she has been able to touch the lives of her patients. This inspired me to pursue nursing myself.

Anything else you would like to tell us about yourself? I am excited to be embarking on this next chapter in my life!

Vanessa Shields-Haas

MSN, APRN, FNP-BC Rockland, Maine

What are your career goals? My career goals are to complete my DNP and participate in policy planning work around universal healthcare at the local and state level. I also just began a gender clinic at my practice that I hope will become a safe space for transgender and non-binary patients to access affordable and competent gender-affirming care in my rural coastal community.

What inspired you to become a nurse? I came to nursing as a second career after working for the federal government in Washington, DC doing counterterrorism analysis. I was concerned at the disproportionate amount of money being spent fighting foreign wars when the more likely cause of death in the U.S. is due to heart disease, not terrorism. I chose nursing because I was inspired by the history of disruptors such as M. Elizabeth Carnegie, Emma Goldman, Lilian Wald, and Lavinia Lloyd Dock, who got into, as the late-great John Lewis would call, “good trouble” and spoke truth to power. I believe that nurses can be change agents and that engaging in “political” work, like advocating for universal healthcare access, is a way to actualize the Nursing Code of Ethics. I vow to get into “good trouble” as long as I live.

Anything else you would like to tell us about yourself? I live in Maine with my wife, daughter, and various rescue animals.

Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Student Leadership Award:

Doctor of Nursing Practice Student Leadership Award: Doctor of Nursing Practice Exemplary Project Award:

Jaime Henson

MSN, CRNP, FNP-C, PMHNP-BC Gettysburg, PA

What are your career goals? I do not have specific goals as I am content in my current position; however, I am currently pursuing my DNP in order to have more teaching opportunities. I do find myself championing for the “underdogs” and I steer more towards those experiences.

What inspired you to become a nurse? In all honesty, I fell into nursing having no clue what I was doing! As a senior in high school, I won a two-year scholarship and chose nursing based on a whim. While this is not the conventional nursing dream, I have been beyond blessed with what nursing has provided and cannot imagine any other route.

Dr. Karen Tepper

DNP, ANP-BC, HHCNS-BC Duxbury, Massachusetts

What are your career goals? To make an impact on health in the community.

What inspired you to become a nurse?

My best friend Christine’s mother, Judith Moreau, was a Director of Nursing for an adult and pediatric skilled nursing facility. We would join Ms. Moreau for volunteer activities at the nursing home. I had the opportunity to observe holistic rehabilitative nursing care results and what nursing leadership could accomplish. I felt connected to make a difference for patients, especially the underserved.

Anything else you would like to tell us about yourself? I am a lifelong sports enthusiast. I played division 1 tennis in college and continue to enjoy participating and watching sporting events.

Dr. Francis Aho

DNP, CNM Masai Mara, Kenya for the past 11 years (previously from Tennessee)

What are your career goals? To establish a thriving women’s health and birth center in the local Maasai community - a place where Maasai women can receive evidencebased care while being treated with respect and dignity with their cultural values embraced. I am the director of the AMS Birth Center and would love to teach midwifery at FNU someday!

What inspired you to become a nurse? From a young age, I knew I wanted to be a nurse and care for people. However, after my first week working in Kenya in 2008 when I delivered my first baby by the light of a flashlight, I became inspired about midwifery. After having my own children my eyes were opened in a new way to the gap in women’s healthcare in my Kenya community. That’s when I decided to renovate an area of the clinic -- I held a fundraiser -- into a delivery room and go to CNM school at FNU.

Anything else you would like to tell us about yourself? I would like to share a little bit more about the clinic/birth center I am the director of by sharing this website: https://africamissionservices. com/ams-projects/ams-birth-center/

Excellence in Teaching Awards Presented During Commencement

Each year in conjunction with commencement, the Student Council leads the student body in selecting faculty members to receive two Excellence in Teaching awards in the following categories: • Academic Faculty Award • Regional Clinical Faculty Award These awards are given annually to faculty members who inspired and impacted their students. For 2021, the students chose to honor two FNU faculty members who passed away earlier this year.

Academic Faculty Excellence in Teaching Award: Regional Clinical Faculty (RCF) Excellence in Teaching Award:

Dr. Ruth Elsasser

It is with great sadness that the family of Ruth Ellen Elsasser-Kolberg shared her unexpected passing on May 24, 2021, in Husum, Washington, at the age of 42.

Ruth was born at Morristown Memorial Hospital in Morristown, New Jersey on March 7, 1979. Ruth attended both Mansfield Jr.-Sr. High School and the Mansfield University of Pennsylvania and achieved high honors at both. She obtained her Master of Science in Nursing from Oregon Health Sciences University and her Doctorate of Nursing Practice from Frontier Nursing University and was a lifelong learner in her field. She was a compassionate and dedicated educator for the Frontier Nursing program and loved teaching and sharing her gifts with her

students. Most recently, she was in pursuit of a certification in Ayurvedic Medicine as she believed that health and wellness depend on achieving a balance between the mind, body, and spirit.

Ruth left an indelible mark on all those lucky enough to have known her. She will be remembered for her zest for life and contagious smile. She will be deeply loved forever and will never be forgotten.

Editor’s Note: Dr. Elsasser’s full obituary was published in the Summer 2021 issue of the Quarterly Bulletin

Dr. Jan Weingrad Smith

Dr. Jan Weingrad Smith, beloved mother, daughter, sister, aunt, and loyal friend passed away at Norwalk Hospital Saturday, May 22.

A faculty member at FNU since 2015, Jan was born in Stamford, Connecticut on January 23, 1950. She is the daughter of Stamford’s Murray Weingrad and Louise Reback Weingrad (deceased) and Genevieve Weingrad (deceased). She graduated from Rippowam High School and began a noted career as a nurse, midwife, and maternal and child health educator. She was a resident of Norwalk, Connecticut, for many years.

Jan was an ardent and vocal advocate for women’s and children’s health with a special interest in promoting and supporting breastfeeding education and policy development in the United States and internationally, and improving access to midwifery services in the U.S. She served in many capacities in the American Public Health Association, including chairperson of the maternal and child health section.

Most notably, she will be remembered for her caring bedside manner, her love of everything purple and lavender, and always being there for family and friends to help them navigate the health care and hospital systems.

Editor’s Note: Dr. Smith’s full obituary was published in the Summer 2021 issue of the Quarterly Bulletin