Q & A
How has being a Jonas Scholar shaped your leadership journey since completing the program?
The Jonas Nurse Leader Scholar Program fundamentally changed how I define leadership. It reinforced that nurses are uniquely positioned to influence healthcare far beyond the bedside through education, scholarship, research, public policy, and systems leadership. More importantly, it challenged me to think beyond what I could accomplish individually and instead focus on how I could create opportunities and build systems that empower others.
Since completing the program, I have had the privilege of serving as Provost at Miami Regional University, where I provide academic leadership across multiple colleges and disciplines. This role has broadened my perspective on the power of higher education to transform lives and prepare professionals who will address society’s most complex challenges through collaboration, innovation, and service.
My commitment to scholarship has also grown through publishing in peer-reviewed journals, serving as a collaborating author for LGBTQIA+ in Nursing and co-editing a nursing textbook focused on quality and safety. I have been honored to share my experiences as a keynote speaker at national conferences, moderate panels on the future of healthcare and nursing, and participate as a guest on podcasts discussing leadership, healthcare, education, and policy.
Beyond academia, I continue to serve as a co-founding member of Nurses Shift Change and Co-Chair of the Policy Committee for DNPs of Color, working to advance evidence-informed policy and encourage greater civic engagement among nurses.
Looking back, the Jonas program did more than prepare me to lead; it inspired me to view leadership as a lifelong responsibility to serve others, advance knowledge, strengthen institutions, and help shape the future of healthcare.
What is one accomplishment or initiative since your Jonas experience that you are most proud of, and why?
One accomplishment I am especially proud of is co-founding Nurses Shift Change, a nonpartisan grassroots organization dedicated to empowering nurses to become informed advocates and engaged participants in the policymaking process.
Throughout my career, I have witnessed how many of healthcare’s greatest challenges are rooted in policy decisions. Nurses experience the impact of those decisions every day, yet too often they are underrepresented where those decisions are made. We founded Nurses Shift Change to bridge that gap by providing education, advocacy opportunities, and resources that help nurses confidently engage with elected officials and influence policies that improve patient care and strengthen the healthcare workforce.
This initiative embodies the leadership philosophy reinforced during my Jonas experience: meaningful systems change requires evidence, collaboration, and the courage to lead beyond traditional roles. By empowering nurses to use their voices in public policy, we are helping build a profession that is prepared not only to deliver exceptional care, but also to shape the future of healthcare.
In what ways are you currently advancing health equity, innovation, or systems change within your practice, research, or community?
I believe meaningful systems change happens when education, scholarship, policy, and advocacy work together.
As Provost at Miami Regional University, I oversee academic programs across multiple disciplines and work collaboratively with faculty and institutional leaders to advance academic excellence, innovation, student success, and workforce development. Although nursing remains central to my professional identity, my current role allows me to influence the education of future healthcare professionals, business leaders, educators, and other professionals who will collectively shape healthier and stronger communities.
My commitment to advancing healthcare also extends through scholarship. I have published in peer-reviewed journals and contributed to resources that strengthen nursing education and practice, including serving as a collaborating author for LGBTQIA+ in Nursing and co-editor of a nursing quality and safety book. These opportunities have allowed me to promote inclusive education, evidence-based practice, and a culture of quality and patient safety.
As Co-Chair of the Policy Committee for DNPs of Color and a co-founding member of Nurses Shift Change, I continue advocating for evidence-informed policies that strengthen the healthcare workforce, improve access to high-quality care, and encourage nurses to engage as civic and policy leaders.
Whether through higher education, scholarship, public speaking, or advocacy, my goal is to help develop leaders who improve the systems that shape health, education, and opportunity.
What challenges have you encountered along your path, and what lessons might you share with current Jonas Scholars navigating similar spaces?
One of the greatest lessons I have learned is that meaningful change requires patience, resilience, and relationships. Whether leading institutional transformation, conducting research, publishing scholarship, or advocating for policy reform, progress rarely happens overnight. Lasting change is built through persistence, collaboration, and a willingness to continue moving forward even when immediate results are not visible.
Early in my career, I believed leadership meant having the right answers. Today, I believe leadership is about asking thoughtful questions, listening with humility, bringing diverse voices together, and creating opportunities for others to succeed.
My advice to current Jonas Scholars is to embrace opportunities that stretch beyond your comfort zone. Publish your work. Present at conferences. Serve on committees. Seek leadership roles. Engage in advocacy. Find mentors and become one. Some of the most influential work nurses do happens outside traditional clinical settings, where our expertise can shape education, research, organizations, and public policy. Never underestimate the value of your voice or your ability to create meaningful change.
How do you continue to stay engaged with the Jonas community, and what does “paying it forward” look like in your current role?
The values I gained through the Jonas program continue to shape how I lead every day.
As Provost, I have the privilege of mentoring faculty, administrators, and students across multiple disciplines while fostering a culture of excellence, innovation, scholarship, and lifelong learning. Although my leadership responsibilities now extend well beyond nursing education, I remain deeply committed to developing future nurse leaders through mentorship, scholarship, advocacy, and professional service.
Through my work with DNPs of Color and Nurses Shift Change, I continue to mentor emerging nurse leaders and advocate for policies that strengthen our profession and improve the health of our communities. I also view scholarship and professional engagement as important forms of service. Whether publishing research, contributing to textbooks, delivering keynote presentations, moderating national conversations, or participating in podcasts, I strive to share knowledge in ways that inspire others to lead.
To me, paying it forward means opening doors that others opened for me. It means investing in people, creating opportunities for future leaders, and helping others recognize that their expertise has the power to influence healthcare far beyond the bedside.
The Jonas Scholars Program invested in my potential at a pivotal point in my career. I hope my career reflects that investment by advancing education, strengthening scholarship, influencing policy, and developing leaders who will continue improving healthcare for generations to come.