Alumni, faculty and guests of Frontier Nursing University (FNU) embarked for a four-night adventure on the high seas March 24th, 2019. Aboard the Carnival Liberty, more than 150 cruisers headed for the Bahamas, docking in Nassau and Freeport.
The trip began in Port Canaveral, FL where the group checked in, received FNU swag and had a time of meet-and-greet, allowing alumni and faculty to mingle and introduce their guests to one another.
Along with the sunshine and relaxation, attendees also had the opportunity to attend two Continuing Education (CE) sessions aboard the ship.
The first two-hour session was presented by speaker Rachel E. Croteau DO, Family Medicine Physician of Dartmouth Hitchcock, who discussed treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome. This condition is often under-diagnosed or diagnosed with delay, impacting reproductive and metabolic health.
The second session on psychopharmacology was presented by Dr. Heather Shlosser, DNP, PMHNP, FNP-B. Dr. Shlosser highlighted diagnoses and therapies for unipolar and bipolar disorders, depression and several other psychiatric disorders. Both CE sessions were accredited by the American Association of Nurse Practitioners.
FNU Alumna Karen Presseault gets engaged to boyfriend Chris
A highlight of the week was a catamaran tour group excursion put on by Seahorse Sailing Adventures. Guests had the opportunity to board a 50-foot catamaran and go snorkeling in a reef near Paradise Island.
FNU alumna Karen Presseault (FNP class 104) had an especially memorable trip with her boyfriend Chris and children. During a glass bottom boat tour in Nassau, Chris dropped to one knee and proposed!
“I was really surprised, said Karen. “I was a hot mess of tears. The entire boat cheered!”
The cruise also brought two alumnae with a special relationship together after many years. Kristina Drupp, RN, CNM (Class 79) reunited with her former preceptor and personal nurse-midwife, Karen Sadar Watt (Class 7) and spent time reconnecting.
After being her Karen’s preceptee, Kristina asked Karen to assist with the birth of her baby as her midwife, forming an even more special bond. “Class 7 and Class 79, this cruise brought us together again,” Kristina said.
The final evening of the cruise, FNU guests were invited to an exclusive cocktail happy hour at one of the ship’s night clubs. Over drinks and light bites, the guests were given a chance to exchange stories about their favorite experiences and reminisce on good times shared throughout the event.
Alumna Val Floro, APRN-CNM enjoyed the fellowship time with old and new friends. “I loved spending time with my FNU friends and reacquainting with others. It was a wonderful, amazing time,” she said.
Group Photo of Cruise Participants
During the happy hour, FNU president Dr. Susan Stone, DNSc, CNM, FACNM, FAAN, and FNU Mary Breckinridge Chair of Midwifery Kitty Ernst, FACNM, BS Ed, MPH, DSc (hon) toasted FNU’s 80th anniversary being celebrated this year. They encouraged participation in the “.80 for 80” campaign which calls for a donation of $0.80 per day for a year. The campaign honors the 80 years of service FNU graduates have provided to mothers, babies, and families across the globe and seeks to raise funds to ensure the access to quality, affordable, advanced practice education for the next 80 years of students.
FNU hopes to continue hosting this incredible event for years to come. Stay tuned for info about next spring’s Alumni Cruise! You can learn about other alumni events at Frontier.edu/Alumni.
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- Snorkeling Excursion
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- Kitty Ernst, FNU Chair of Midwifery, FACNM, BS Ed, MPH, DSc (hon) toasts FNU’s 80th anniversary and encourages participation in the “.80 for 80” campaign
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- FNU Faculty Member Katie Moriarty (left), Two Alumni and Dr. Stone (right)
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- Dr. Shlosser at the Podium presenting the CE
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- CE presenters: Dr. Heather Shlosser (left) and Dr. Rachel Croteau
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- Catamaran Group out to Sea
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- Group Photo of Cruise Participants
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- Alumna Kristina Drupp, RN, CNM (Class 79) with former Preceptor and fellow alumna Karen Sadar Watt (Class 7)
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- FNU Alumna Karen Presseault gets engaged to boyfriend Chris
Justin C. Daily, BSN, RN, has ten years of experience in nursing. At the start of his nursing career, Justin worked as a floor nurse on the oncology floor at St. Francis. He then spent two years as the Director of Nursing in a small rural Kansas hospital before returning to St. Francis and the oncology unit. He has been in his current position as the Chemo Nurse Educator for the past four years. He earned an Associate in Nurse from Hutchinson Community College and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Bethel College.
Brandy Jackson serves as the Director of Undergraduate Nursing Programs and Assistant Educator at Wichita State University and Co-Director of Access in Nursing. Brandy is a seasoned educator with over 15 years of experience. Before entering academia, Brandy served in Hospital-based leadership and Critical Care Staff nurse roles. Brandy is passionate about equity in nursing education with a focus on individuals with disabilities. Her current research interests include accommodations of nursing students with disabilities in clinical learning environments and breaking down barriers for historically unrepresented individuals to enter the nursing profession. Brandy is also actively engaged in Interprofessional Education development, creating IPE opportunities for faculty and students at Wichita State. Brandy is an active member of Wichita Women for Good and Soroptimist, with the goal to empower women and girls. Brandy is a TeamSTEPPS master trainer. She received the DASIY Award for Extraordinary Nursing Faculty in 2019 at Wichita State University. 
Dr. Sabrina Ali Jamal-Eddine is an Arab-disabled queer woman of color with a PhD in Nursing and an interdisciplinary certificate in Disability Ethics from the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC). Dr. Jamal-Eddine’s doctoral research explored spoken word poetry as a form of critical narrative pedagogy to educate nursing students about disability, ableism, and disability justice. Dr. Jamal-Eddine now serves as a Postdoctoral Research Associate in UIC’s Department of Disability and Human Development and serves on the Board of Directors of the National Organization of Nurses with Disabilities (NOND). During her doctoral program, Sabrina served as a Summer Fellow at a residential National Endowment of the Humanities (NEH) Summer Institute at Arizona State University (2023), a summer fellow at Andrew W. Mellon’s National Humanities Without Walls program at University of Michigan (2022), a Summer Research Fellow at UC Berkeley’s Othering & Belonging Institute (2021), and an Illinois Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and related Disabilities (LEND) trainee (2019-2020).
Vanessa Cameron works for Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nursing Education & Professional Development. She is also attending George Washington University and progressing towards a PhD in Nursing with an emphasis on ableism in nursing. After becoming disabled in April 2021, Vanessa’s worldview and perspective changed, and a recognition of the ableism present within healthcare and within the culture of nursing was apparent. She has been working since that time to provide educational foundations for nurses about disability and ableism, provide support for fellow disabled nursing colleagues, and advocate for the disabled community within healthcare settings to reduce disparities.
Dr. Lucinda Canty is a certified nurse-midwife, Associate Professor of Nursing, and Director of the Seedworks Health Equity in Nursing Program at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Columbia University, a master’s degree from Yale University, specializing in nurse-midwifery, and a PhD from the University of Connecticut. Dr. Canty has provided reproductive health care for over 29 years. Her research interests include the prevention of maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity, reducing racial and ethnic health disparities in reproductive health, promoting diversity in nursing, and eliminating racism in nursing and midwifery.
Dr. Lisa Meeks is a distinguished scholar and leader whose unwavering commitment to inclusivity and excellence has significantly influenced the landscape of health professions education and accessibility. She is the founder and executive director of the DocsWithDisabilities Initiative and holds appointments as an Associate Professor in the Departments of Learning Health Sciences and Family Medicine at the University of Michigan.
Dr. Nikia Grayson, DNP, MSN, MPH, MA, CNM, FNP-C, FACNM (she/her) is a trailblazing force in reproductive justice, blending her expertise as a public health activist, anthropologist, and family nurse-midwife to champion the rights and health of underserved communities. Graduating with distinction from Howard University, Nikia holds a bachelor’s degree in communications and a master’s degree in public health. Her academic journey also led her to the University of Memphis, where she earned a master’s in medical anthropology, and the University of Tennessee, where she achieved both a master’s in nursing and a doctorate in nursing practice. Complementing her extensive education, she completed a post-master’s certificate in midwifery at Frontier Nursing University.
Dr. Tia Brown McNair is the Vice President in the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Student Success and Executive Director for the Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation (TRHT) Campus Centers at the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) in Washington, DC. She oversees both funded projects and AAC&U’s continuing programs on equity, inclusive excellence, high-impact practices, and student success. McNair directs AAC&U’s Summer Institutes on High-Impact Practices and Student Success, and TRHT Campus Centers and serves as the project director for several AAC&U initiatives, including the development of a TRHT-focused campus climate toolkit. She is the lead author of From Equity Talk to Equity Walk: Expanding Practitioner Knowledge for Racial Justice in Higher Education (January 2020) and Becoming a Student-Ready College: A New Culture of Leadership for Student Success (July 2016 and August 2022 Second edition).