Hailey Reas

Late Grandmother’s Timepiece
Links Student to Family’s Nursing Legacy

It is not uncommon for someone to follow in a family member’s footsteps into the nursing field. Hailey Reas of Lanesville, Indiana, did just that when she enrolled in the USI Nursing program, continuing a tradition set by her maternal grandmother and an aunt, who lives in Georgia.

Prior to the USI Nursing White Coat Ceremony on September 11, 2022, Reas’ mother loaned her something special to wear to remember her family’s legacy of nursing: her late grandmother’s watch.

Reas said her grandmother, Gloria Fore Hardegree Davis, received the watch from Georgia Power/Southern Company in Atlanta, Georgia, to recognize her 30 years of service as a Certified Occupational Healthcare Nurse and Wellness Director. Davis was the valedictorian of her nursing school class in 1970 at Crawford W. Long Memorial Hospital in Atlanta and earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree from Georgia State University and a master’s degree in counseling from Liberty University. After a journey with Alzheimer’s disease, her grandmother passed away in March 2020.

In addition to her family’s influence on her career choice, Reas says she is motivated by a desire to help others. “I believe that nursing is an extremely honorable and rewarding profession,” she said. “Nurses help people daily, and I hope to do the same by making a difference in my patients' lives.”

The white coat symbolizes "hard work, dedication and compassionate care" and marks the nursing students’ entry into the healthcare field. The ceremony in September for Reas and other members of the Class of 2024 was conducted before their first clinical rotation.

When asked why she chose USI, Reas said, “USI is well known for its nursing program, as well as high NCLEX (National Council Licensure Examination) pass rates. I know that I will be well-prepared to pursue my career when I graduate.”

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