Alumni who Support the Program discussing it, they knew I had been better trained than most other job candidates. The University of St. Thomas School of Nursing had an incredible reputation. I have no doubt I got a great job right out of college because I carried a UST degree. When values and ethics are reinforced in an educational setting, you feel the effects of that foundation for the rest of your life. It inspires you to seek out people and organizations that are mission-driven.” Evonne Cummings ’79 has worked in the nursing field for 30 years and currently serves as an instructor of nursing at Prairie View A&M University College of Nursing, located in the Texas Medical Center in Houston.
“In my experience, many nurses don’t always see the importance of integrity, ethics, values and morals. Those ideals and expectations were understood at UST, and they were embedded in the curriculum. I think a program that emphasizes those values is needed again. Houston needs the University of St. Thomas School of Nursing to increase the number of nurses and to produce nurses who have strong liberal arts backgrounds, critical thinking skills and clinical training, as well as values of integrity and ethics. UST taught me that it’s not enough to know the scientific rationales; you have to have heart.”
Mark Montondon ’78, MBA ’85 began his career in the health professions the day after he graduated from UST’s School of Nursing in 1978. He currently serves as vice president for SightLine Health of Houston.
“When employers saw I graduated from St. Thomas, there was a pause and a silent acknowledgement that I had gone to the best nursing program. Without
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Margaret (McGehee) O’Donnell ’78 could have pursued any number of opportunities with her law degree, but she chooses to stay connected to her health care roots. O’Donnell now serves as Corporate Operations Counsel for CHRISTUS Health.
“Health care is a very rewarding profession. On a day-to-day basis, you have opportunities to see the impact of your actions. That experience stays with you. Science classes are essential to learn clinical aspects of the nursing profession, but the liberal arts courses I took at St. Thomas, such as philosophy and theology, allow me to look at life and understand what it means for people to be in need when they come to the hospital. The hallmark of a faith-based program is to teach nurses to approach health care from the holistic view of the patient. Our nursing professors always taught us to care for the person, not just treat the disease. Anybody can memorize the sciences, but people who can touch a patient’s heart are the type of care givers that we need today.”