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.
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.
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.
Hyden, Ky. – On April 3, 2019, the 
Through funding granted by the Frontier Nursing Service Foundation, three scholarships totaling $1,000 will be given to students from this year’s Healthy Futures Fair. An essay contest was open to any Leslie County Schools student interested in pursuing careers in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) fields. Contestants were asked to answer one of four questions in a short essay that focused on the ideas of healthy futures. The scholarship recipients will be featured in a news story next month, so be on the lookout in May!
Eric is a 20-year-old rising junior from Saint John, Indiana. He attends Wabash College, where he is majoring in psychology with a minor in global health and chemistry. His hope is to attend medical school post-graduation. During his time in college, he has been a member of Phi Delta Theta and has been involved in the Wabash Dance Marathon, Global Health Initiative, the Public Health Organization, and his school’s baseball team. Eric looks forward to beginning his journey as a 2019 Courier and is excited to learn this upcoming summer! 
HaLee OrLena Morgan is from Hyden, KY. She is FNU’s first official “Local Courier” and we are excited to welcome her aboard! HaLee is 20 years old and graduated from Leslie County High School in Hyden. She is in college but is looking to transfer somewhere where she can complete her degree. She plans to obtain her RN license next year. After that, she hopes to attend Frontier Nursing University to obtain her degree with an FNP specialty. Her ultimate goal is to become a pediatric nurse practitioner and serve rural communities such as Hyden. 
Dorn left suburban New Jersey in search of “The Way Life Should Be” and arrived in Maine in the summer of 2001. Since moving to Maine, he has acquired a deep appreciation for contra dancing, maple syrup, and farm-to-table cuisine. When Dorn is not working, studying or powerlifting he spends his time watching his nephew’s basketball games and reading books to his niece. Currently, Dorn is a junior in the nursing program at the University of Maine at Fort Kent and hopes to continue working in the medical field with a focus on Population Health. 
Emily Cross is a recent Skidmore College graduate from Andover, MA. She has a degree in neuroscience and a minor in theater. She spent the last year working on her thesis looking into maternal and paternal methamphetamine use in fruit flies. She has been an EMT for three years and has volunteered with several hospice organizations. Last year, she lived in Denmark for six months while studying psychopharmacology at the Danish Institute of Study Abroad. Currently, she is applying for medical school in the hopes of becoming a palliative care doctor or a forensic pathologist. Emily enjoys Netflix binges with friends, scuba diving, her Birkenstocks and her dogs.
Breanna is a Public Health pre-med student at Eastern Kentucky University. She is passionate about being engaged in her campus and community through her involvement in the Honors program, the Service Council, and a service fraternity, Alpha Phi Omega. She also loves reading, art, yoga, hiking, and spending time with her friends and family. In the future, she wishes to pursue an MD, MPH dual degree to better her community and world. 
Audrey is a rising junior at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Vancouver, Canada. She is studying Honours Philosophy with a minor in Health and Society. For the past year, Audrey has been involved with her school’s First Aid Team, providing first aid coverage at UBC community events, including mental health and substance use first aid. She also works with the Education and Outreach branch of the team, facilitating workshops on student health. As a College Advisor at UBC, Audrey acts as a mentor to first-year commuter students, helping to ensure a smooth transition, both academically and socially to university life. Audrey loves to explore the outdoors, read, play the violin and relax with friends. She is very much looking forward to working in the community this summer, making connections, learning well, and serving those around her. 
Daniel Goold is a 22-year-old from Northern California. He is currently a student at Brigham Young University. Some of his favorite hobbies are running, listening to music, cooking, playing Super Smash Brothers, or doing basically anything with a group of friends. Daniel is very passionate about the medical field and biology/chemistry in general – he loves to learn! He describes himself as very friendly and says he loves to make new friends.
Reilly is 21 years old and from Northern California, but will be relocating to Franklin, Tennessee after completing the Courier Program to start a nursing program in August. Reilly is very passionate about women’s health; she is working towards becoming a nurse-midwife. Reilly says that, given permission, she will talk your ear off about the Enneagram (I’m a true 4 wing 3), birth culture, the Liturgists podcast, BBC historical dramas and/or The Bachelor(ette). She is very excited about this opportunity to learn from people practicing the way that she sees herself practicing in the future, and she can’t wait to become more comfortable in a clinical setting. 
Sarah Baldree is 20 years old and attends Williams College in Massachusetts. Although she is attending college in the northeast, she is originally from Macon, Georgia. Sarah is working on a double major in Biology and Psychology and will be spending Fall 2019 studying in Amsterdam. Sarah is the youngest of three sisters and she loves sweet tea, silly puns, and her two dogs, Ollie and Belle.
