Tresha Powell, rn, bsn
Alumna Spotlight: Tresha Powell ‘25
At the age of 43, Tresha Powell, RN, BSN, decided to continue her education as a student in the Master of Nursing degree program's Nurse Educator concentration at Florida Atlantic University. Originally planning to begin the program in January 2023, she felt overwhelmed by the transition from working as a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) travel nurse in California and moving back home to South Florida to work as a travel nurse. With a heavy heart, she delayed her start date until May 2023.
In April of that same year, her father—a retired hospice nurse, was hospitalized due to complications from congestive heart failure. She said her dad had always been her guiding light and sole inspiration to becoming a nurse.
“I always admired the way his patients and family members adored him, and I wanted to walk in his footsteps,” stated Powell. “Even when he was in the ICU and no longer intubated, my dad reminded me that my classes would be starting soon. He was extremely proud of me. Sadly, he succumbed to his illness and passed away on May 1—a few days before I began the program. I thought about postponing my start date again, but I forged on because of him.”
Powell juggled planning her father’s funeral along with her nursing course assignments. She pushed on through her first semester because she knew her father would have wanted her to do so.
“Every paper and every discussion post I wrote that first semester was about my father and the impact he had on my life,” recalled Powell. “The students and professors were so encouraging and understood that I was grieving. One of my professors told me that she believed that I needed that course at that very moment in time to help me through.”
Fast forward two years, and Powell completed her master’s degree program with straight A’s. She proudly became a graduate of the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing in August 2025.
“I am so thankful for my journey at Florida Atlantic,” shared Powell. “I was already blessed to be hired as a clinical NICU nurse educator before I even completed my degree—on the same unit I worked on as a travel nurse!”