麻豆app

For Jennifer Verstreken 鈥�24G, transferring to UNH to complete her doctor of nursing practice (DNP) degree ultimately landed her in a place that 鈥渏ust felt like home.鈥�

There were certainly academic reasons for that 鈥� frustrated by feeling like 鈥渏ust a cog in the wheel鈥� as a student in her initial DNP program, UNH provided the kind of supportive, collaborative atmosphere she was craving.

But there were fairly powerful personal reasons, as well 鈥� that feeling of home was sparked in part by the fact that outside of family dwellings, there likely aren鈥檛 many places her relatives have spent more collective time than the UNH campus over the last century or so.

Last winter Verstreken became the seventh member of her family to complete a UNH degree since 1936, when her late grandfather Ronald Buchan, who went on to become a physician after earning听his terminal degree from McGill University, graduated as a Wildcat. That list of seven doesn鈥檛 include her mother, Bette Ann Buchan, who took graduate classes at UNH, completing her degree at Eastern Oklahoma State College, or her cousin Seamus Flemming, who initially attended UNH before graduating from the University of Utah.

"It's more than just an alma mater. It's a part of our family identity,鈥� Verstreken says. 鈥淲hen it became apparent my initial DNP program was not the kind of curriculum I wanted, I was talking to a colleague who had recently graduated from UNH鈥檚听program, and the light bulb just went off. This is where I was supposed to be from the beginning, reconnecting with that family legacy.鈥�

Verstreken鈥檚 father, Ian Buchan, graduated from UNH in 1974, and her aunt, Joan (Buchan) Flemming, completed her undergrad degree in 1964 and her graduate degree in 1990. Both were in attendance, along with her mother, when Verstreken walked across the stage at commencement in May.

鈥淭o be able to share my doctoral project, a moment that signifies years of dedication, with family who understand that connection so deeply, was truly special," she says.

Other fellow Wildcats in the family include Verstreken鈥檚 late uncle and godfather, Robert Buchan 鈥�64, and her late uncle, Richard Fleming, 听as well as her cousin, Maureen (Flemming) Knapp 鈥�94. Her nephew, James Buchan, is currently completing community college classes with the hope of transferring to UNH to further extend the family legacy.

Verstreken鈥檚 UNH roots were nurtured early. She remembers growing up going to games on campus and frequenting the UNH Dairy Bar, with her aunt鈥檚 farm only a few miles away.

鈥淚t was not uncommon for us to go to campus, and we had family friends like Hap Follansbee听who worked in the bookstore that became extended family to us,鈥� she says.

That familiarity certainly eased the transition into the DNP program, but it was the structure of the program itself that served as the strongest catalyst. Verstreken says she could tell from the moment she spoke with Cathleen Colleran, clinical professor and director of the DNP program, the fit would be significantly better than where she started.

鈥淎s soon as I got on the phone with Cathleen, I felt like a person, I felt seen 鈥� I wasn鈥檛 a number,鈥� Verstreken says. 鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 just the legacy ties to the institution but the passion the faculty showed for my career. From that very first meeting, I can鈥檛 even describe the feeling 鈥� this is where I was supposed to be, where I was supposed to be working toward the culmination of my career.鈥�

That experience only served to fortify the strong feelings that Verstreken, who maintains a clinical practice at Brigham and Women鈥檚 Hospital in Boston, has for UNH. She was on the receiving end of warm stories from her grandfather about the university for many years and had certainly spent plenty of time on campus, but combining her own positive academic experience with that rich familial history really drove things home.

鈥淎n education isn鈥檛 just about the diploma; it isn鈥檛 about the degree. It鈥檚 about making connections and making the experience meaningful,鈥� Verstreken says. 鈥淚 will forever be connected to the nursing program.鈥�