Frontier Nursing University (FNU) student Andrew Youmans originally had no plans to become a nurse-midwife. Early in his career, he obtained his associate’s degree in nursing from Athens Technical College. During his time in school, he got a job as an obstetric technician at his local hospital to get his foot in the door and gain some health care experience.
Andrew’s interest in the labor and delivery field grew, but his desire to become a nurse-midwife didn’t occur until he graduated. His first job after school was an emergency department nurse position.
“I saw how many women came to the emergency room for pregnancy and gynecology-related issues,” said Andrew. “The ER was their only option for this type of care.”
Andrew decided to pursue his Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) in hopes of eventually adding the family nurse practitioner certificate to his educational arsenal. He chose Frontier for its affordability, flexibility of schedule and reputation. His dream is to implement nurse-midwifery care into the emergency room setting.
Currently a Class 129 MSN student, Andrew is involved in several student organizations including American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM) and FNU PRIDE. As a student representative for ACNM, he attends quarterly board meetings and serves as a liaison to the Division of Education.
Andrew is also a member of the Congenital Heart Public Health Consortium, the Wilderness Medical Society, the American Nurses Association, Sigma Theta Tau (an international nursing honor society), and the Emergency Nurses Association.
Andrew currently serves as a certified pediatric emergency nurse at Emory University Hospital in the cardiac catheterization lab. He has incorporated the nurse-midwife mantra of “less is more” as his team replaces aortic valves in the heart without surgical incisions or anesthesia.
Thank you for your dedication to quality health care, Andrew! The FNU community is excited to see how your future unfolds.
At the heart of Frontier Nursing University is a talented and diverse community of students, alumni, faculty, staff, Couriers and preceptors. Spotlight blogs feature members of our FNU community who are focused on the mission of educating nurse-midwives and nurse practitioners to deliver quality health care to underserved and rural populations.






Brittany Imel is a sophomore Biology major with a minor in art history at Allegheny College in Meadville, PA. In her free time, she enjoys being outside and working out. Her dream job growing up was to be a pediatrician. Her favorite musical artist is Carrie Underwood. Her future goals include going to graduate school to become a physician assistant and working in a pediatrics office. Brittany says, “ I want to improve and grow on this experience by learning more about public health and services in a rural community. I also look forward to gaining a better understanding of how health care clinics operate and benefit people in their communities.”
Calla Michalak is originally from Memphis, TN and is preparing to enter her senior year at Michigan State University. She plans to graduate from the Honors College in 2018 with a degree in Psychology and minors in Bioethics, Humanities, and Society and Health Promotion. After finishing her undergraduate degree, she plans on entering a combined accelerated Bachelors/Masters program to become either a pediatric or women’s health nurse practitioner. When asked what she wanted to be when she grew up, she answered, “I always wanted a job that would allow me to just hang out with animals (especially dogs) and give them love. So, my dream job wasn’t really a job that existed.” She has participated in many research projects while at Michigan State. Some of her research was published in the first volume of the MSU Social Science Scholars Undergraduate Research.
Ronnie Sloan is a 20-year-old sophomore at Berea College in Berea, KY. She intends to major in Environmental Policy, and hopes to become an urban planner. Ronnie loves helping others and being a part of something bigger than herself. In her free time, she likes to travel and learn about unfamiliar cultures and situations. When asked what animal best represents her, she answered, “A wolf because I am very analytical, organized for the next move, smart, and quiet but quick on my feet.” She considers her proudest accomplishment to be when she trained to run a marathon. In 5 years, Ronnie hopes to be finishing graduate school for a career she is passionate about and saving for a home.
Alexandra “Zandy” Stovicek is a triplet fromWeehawken, New Jersey and a soon-to-be graduate of Wesleyan University in CT. Her major is in Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and her passion is reproductive health equity. She is the leader of the Wesleyan Doula Project, a full-spectrum doula organization that trains volunteers to informationally, emotionally, and physically support patients through reproductive experiences. She also teaches yoga, occasionally acts and directs plays, and loves to spend time outdoors. When asked about the craziest thing she has ever done, she answered that she went ziplining in CA off the coast of Catalina Island. She is hoping to attend nurse-midwifery school in a year or two and can’t wait to meet the FNU community!
Edith Conyers traveled to Wendover in the 1960s to serve as a Courier in her early college days. No one in Edith’s family had experience in the medical professions, but her mother was intrigued by Frontier Nursing Service (FNS) so she encouraged Edith and her sister to look into the Courier Program.

Heidi Carter RN, SNM knew for years that she wanted to attend Frontier Nursing University (FNU) to become a 

Brie Belz is a freshman biology major in thepre-med track at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Va. She is a dog lover, enjoys the outdoors, and feels she is at her best when she is helping others. She was born in North Carolina, but spent most of her life in Virginia. The book which has most influenced her is The Alchemist. If she could master one skill, it would be to whistle. The craziest thing she has ever done is jump off a cliff, and her proudest accomplishment was serving as the keynote speaker at the National Space Club’s Goddard Memorial Dinner in Washington, D.C. In five years, she hopes to be in medical school.
Claire Gasparovich is a third year nursing student at the College of Saint Mary in Omaha, Neb. She is passionate about being involved in her local church, as well as the inner-city missions established in her area. When she is not studying, she enjoys camping, traveling and other outdoor activities. The most influential book she has read is Small Wonder by Barbara Kingsolver. When asked about her expectations of the program, Claire responded, “I am very excited and blessed to be involved in the Courier Program and expect to develop a more applicable understanding of what it means to be active in service as a nurse in my community.” In five years, she hopes to be working and studying to be a nurse practitioner.
Matt Hodges is a sophomore at Wabash Collegein Crawfordsville, Ind., where he studies biochemistry and mathematics. He is an avid musician. Matt began playing percussion when he was seven and has since branched out into other instruments. His favorite book is The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky. If he could have dinner with anyone, it would be Kurt Vonnegut. His personal hero is his father, and his favorite band is The Shouting Matches. His proudest accomplishment is earning a full-ride scholarship. In five years, he sees himself in medical school.
Brigid Horan is a junior nursing major at Saint Anselm College in Manchester, N.H. She is originally from Salem, Conn. Brigid says her favorite nursing class has been Pediatric Nursing, and she hopes to work in the NICU or a pediatric setting in the future. Brigid found out about the Courier Program through her sister, Teresa, who was a Courier in 2013. Her proudest accomplishment is being accepted into the Navy Nurse Corps. The craziest thing she has ever done is go cliff diving. If she could have dinner with anyone, it would be Florence Nightingale. Her goal is to continue her nursing education to become a Nurse Practitioner or Nurse Anesthetist.