2 0 • GCU TODAY
T
hey grew up worlds apart, one in Swaziland with missionary
parents and four siblings, the other in a smaller military
family that over the years lived on more than a dozen Air
Force bases in the United States.
Their paths to Grand Canyon University’s College of Nursing and Health
Care Professions also were divergent. The science enthusiast toured GCU’s
campus as a high school student, was intrigued by the cadaver lab and
enrolled as a freshman, while the athlete transferred as a college senior after
the future of her school’s track and field program became muddy.
But once they met, Bekah Hansz and Lauren Graham discovered
they had much in common. They were the same age and came to GCU
from the same city, Colorado Springs. They shared career aspirations in
nursing and were interested in the military, specifically, Army ROTC.
And now, the two women share the honor of being named
distinguished military graduates — Graham in 2013 and Hansz in
2014 — by the U.S. Army. As such, they were among the top 10 percent
of cadets in their respective classes, competing not only with other
students around the country earning bachelor’s degrees in nursing, but
also those in business, engineering and other sciences.
“Lauren and Bekah have a sense of selflessness and patriotism and,
as nurses, they are truly committed to the general care of people and
defending their country, too,” said Major Michelle Bravo, executive
officer of the ROTC Sun Devil Battalion, which trains GCU and Arizona
State University students to become leaders, then commissions them as
second lieutenants in the Army. “They were very good cadets and they
will be exceptional lieutenants.”
Nursing, military in the genes
That’s already proving true for Graham, who graduated from GCU 15
months ago and was assigned to Walter Reed National Military Medical
Center in Bethesda, Md. She works on a medical/surgical ward, caring
for wounded American soldiers in one of the world’s best rehabilitation
facilities for veterans.
“I love working there — it’s such an inspirational place,” said
Two nurses from GCU named distinguished military
graduates by the U.S. Army
B Y J A N I E M A G R U D E R
Common Goals,
Extraordinary Achievements
Lauren Graham (center)
graduated fromGCUwith
top ROTC honors in 2013.
photo by darryl webb
