Frontier Nursing University (FNU) seeks to empower its students to make a difference in their communities and in the field of health care.
We are recognizing three students who have taken significant steps over the last several months to better their education and the care they provide.
FNU Student Awarded NBNA “Top 40 and Under” Designation
Essence Williams, RN, BSN, CBC, CCE, SNM
The National Black Nurses Association (NBNA) announced FNU student Essence T. Williams, RN, BSN, CBC, CCE, SNM as one of 19 “Top 40 and Under” awardees.
Essence, in CNEP Class 140 at FNU, is a public health nurse at Nurse Family Partnership in Crum Lynne, Pa. She belongs to the Southeastern Pennsylvania Area Black Nurses Association.
She was nominated for the NBNA 40 and Under Award for having made significant contributions in the field of nursing and showing promise in her career.
Essence received her award on Friday, August 3, 2018 during the 46th Annual NBNA Institute and Conference in St. Louis, Mo. She created a video diary reflecting on her experience.
The NBNA is comprised of nurses at all levels, from LPNs to doctorally prepared nurses; bedside clinicians, chief nursing officers, deans of schools of nursing, researchers, academicians, case managers and entrepreneurs. Its mission is to serve as the voice for black nurses and diverse populations ensuring equal access to professional development, promoting educational opportunities and improving health.
Congratulations on your accomplishment, Essence!
FNU Student Ambassador attends COMON in Lansing, Michigan
Jessie Tinglan, BSN, RNC-OB, CLS
FNU CNEP (Class 173) student Jessie Tinglan, BSN, RNC-OB, CLS was chosen to attend a Coalition of Michigan Organizations of Nursing (COMON) meeting in Lansing, Mich. at Lansing Community College on May 15, 2018.
COMON is an organization dedicated to the advancement of Nursing in the state of Michigan. Its strategic plan focuses on practice, policy, regulation, and nursing shortage, with particular emphasis on obstetrics, surgery, and critical care nurses.
Jessie, currently enrolled in Frontier’s CNEP (Class 173) is a member of the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM). She volunteered to join after leaders of the ACNM Michigan Affiliate reached out for an attendee for May’s COMON meeting.
Jessie met and networked with nurse leaders from a broad spectrum of nursing specialties.
“Overall, this was a wonderful leadership experience packed with nurse leaders representing their specialties with as much passion and drive as I do for midwifery,” she said. “I am certainly humbled by the opportunity, and look forward to advocating many years with ACNM.”
Great work, Jessie!
Student Spotlight: Shoshanah Blaiss, RN, BSN, CLC, CMRN
Shoshanah Blaiss RN, BSN, CLC, CMRN
FNU student Shoshanah Blaiss recently completed an internship at the Georgia Affiliate of the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM).
Shoshanah, currently in CNEP Class 155 at FNU, was one of four students chosen as a Leadership Intern for 2018 by the Georgia Affiliate of the ACNM. She was the first to represent FNU in this role and was selected based on personal references and an essay on the importance of leadership in midwifery.
While interning, Shoshanah worked on the Market area for the 63rd Annual ACNM Meeting & Exhibition that took place on May 20-24, 2018 in Savannah, Ga. She was responsible for putting together elements of the “Come Sit Awhile” circle, where she served as a conversation facilitator. The area, complete with rocking chairs and sweet tea, was created to encourage attendees to sit and discuss a variety of topics.
As Student Representative, Shoshanah took advantage of several networking opportunities to build relationships with midwives from around the nation. She also joined both the Bridge Club and the Healthy Birth Initiative sub-committee during the annual meeting.
“I really enjoyed attending the 2018 ACNM national meeting as a student – I felt like it was a glimpse into my future as a CNM!,” she said.
“I love that students are celebrated and encouraged to participate at all levels of ACNM, and I look forward to being involved as much as possible throughout my career.”
Well done, Shoshanah!
Congratulations to each of these students for representing FNU in their hard work.
Carrie Belin is an experienced board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner and a graduate of the Johns Hopkins DNP program, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Georgetown University School of Nursing, and Johns Hopkins School of Nursing. She has also completed fellowships at Georgetown and the University of California Irvine.
Angie has been a full-scope midwife since 2009. She has experience in various birth settings including home, hospital, and birth centers. She is committed to integrating the midwifery model of care in the US. She completed her master’s degree in nurse-midwifery at Frontier Nursing University (FNU) and her Doctorate at Johns Hopkins University. She currently serves as the midwifery clinical faculty at FNU. Angie is motivated by the desire to improve the quality of healthcare and has led quality improvement projects on skin-to-skin implementation, labor induction, and improving transfer of care practices between hospital and community midwives. In 2017, she created a short film on skin-to-skin called 
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).