Alumni Professional Reflections 2025

Assistant Director (Sector Enabler) and Principal Speech Therapist

How did you grow professionally this year?
I learned to stop rushing to give an answer and started to wait. Thoughtful solutions are born out of patience. After all, one of the key techniques in speech therapy is waiting. If we wait, then maybe the child will reach out to the toy. In that space between stimulus and response, I found the power of potential.

I learned to stop thinking in absolutes and started to think in relatives. Good solutions emerge from a balance of different perspectives. What if we take this part of A and add that part of B to it? In that in-between space of grey, I found beauty in asymmetry.

I learned to stop doing things the same way and started to step out of my comfort zone. Innovative solutions are a result of thinking about and doing things in new and different ways. I read up on finance and investment to sustainability and carbon credits and challenged myself to relate those learnings to my work as a speech therapist. In those unchartered spaces, I found humility in not knowing.

Professionally speaking, what is one word you would choose to define your 2026?
Exploration

What professional resource, tool, training, or piece of advice would you suggest to alumni?
In terms of a professional resource, the ASHA website is one that I often go back to for the practice portal and journals.
 

Attending Psychiatric and Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, Lead Nurse Practitioner and Clinical Experiences Coordinator (PMHNP)

How did you grow professionally this year?
At the beginning of this year, I found myself on maternity leave, struggling with postpartum symptoms from anxiety to intrusive thoughts — a position, while always a possibility, I never imagined I would be in. However, getting the care that I needed deepened my understanding of the struggles of patients I have had the opportunity to treat, heal, and help overcome in similar circumstances. While this year remained one of the most difficult emotionally, there was still an immense amount of growth. There is something special about having lived experiences, overcoming them, and the impact it has on supporting the work you do. 

When I returned to work as an inpatient psychiatric nurse practitioner at a psychiatric hospital, I returned with a unique perspective as it relates to treating mental health symptoms in postpartum women, including taking the time to delve into the research and resources available. My lived experience deepened my skill set and helped me realize the void and the growth possibilities in the area of maternal mental health, while broadening my perspective and interest as it relates to normalizing conversations, destigmatizing maternal mental health diagnoses, speaking boldly about my experience, and simultaneously sharing about the resources available so every mother feels seen, heard, and motivated to get the care they need.

Professionally speaking, what is one word you would choose to define your 2026?
Evolution

What professional resource, tool, training, or piece of advice would you suggest to alumni?
I have enjoyed the trainings offered by the Cambridge Health Alliance, the Sheppard Pratt Center for Professional Education, and the Medscape challenges. These resources tend to challenge me while also reinforcing my strengths! I personally believe that as a practitioner, you must be determined and intentional about being a lifelong learner and educator. To do this, you must seek out opportunities that support that. I have found these resources have been mentally stimulating and invigorating enough and consistently provide the push that is needed to keep up with the trends in my area of work.

Manager, Health Economics and Market Access, Orthopedics

How did you grow professionally this year?
From career uncertainty to a new opportunity, 2025 became a year of learning, reflection, growth, and transformation. Alongside thousands of federal employees, my position at the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services was eliminated, and I faced the daunting task of finding my next opportunity in a difficult job market. I leaned on my professional network, pursued opportunities beyond my comfort zone, and reinforced my focus through mindfulness, exercise, and time in nature, persevering one step at a time. 

Six months later, I was thrilled to join DePuy Synthes, the orthopedics company of Johnson & Johnson. I’m excited to apply my background in orthopedics, health services research, and health policy to advance care and improve patient outcomes. Next year, my family and I will relocate from Chicago to the greater Philadelphia area, where I will join a wonderful team. 

Though challenging, 2025 taught me to avoid complacency, plan for uncertainty, and stay adaptable in all areas of life. It strengthened my resilience, faith, and hope. For these lessons, I am deeply grateful.

Professionally speaking, what is one word you would choose to define your 2026?
Promise

What professional resource, tool, training, or piece of advice would you suggest to alumni?
Savor experiences, learn from challenges, build your network, cultivate skills, and embrace opportunities.

Cardiac Surgery ICU Registered Nurse; Legal Nurse Consultant

How did you grow professionally this year?
This year marked a shift from simply building clinical expertise to using it more intentionally and strategically. Alongside my work as a cardiac surgery ICU nurse at Brigham and Women's Hospital, I launched my legal nurse consulting business, which challenged me to translate complex clinical events into clear, objective narratives for a legal audience. Professionally, I grew by broadening how I think about impact, learning to advocate beyond the bedside, and building confidence in applying my experience in new and unfamiliar spaces.

Professionally speaking, what is one word you would choose to define your 2026?
Catalyst. I’m at a point in my career where I want to be more involved, more engaged, and more intentional about the impact I’m making. Whether on the unit or through my work in legal nurse consulting, I’m motivated by asking thoughtful questions and helping move ideas forward rather than simply accepting “the way things have always been done.”

What professional resource, tool, training, or piece of advice would you suggest to alumni?
Seek out opportunities that stretch your perspective, even if they feel uncomfortable at first. Some of the most meaningful growth comes from applying your existing skill set in new ways. Mentorship, professional networking, and saying yes to roles outside your routine can open doors you didn’t know existed. I promise you: People are more willing to help than you think!