reede walke

Reede Walke, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, first found his inspiration to pursue nursing while serving in the infantry during combat deployments.

“I was fascinated by the Corpsman and medical service personnel during evacuations of wounded Marines,” he shared. That experience sparked his lasting interest in the field of health care.

Reede shared that he comes from a long line of veterans and had always felt a strong desire to serve his country. He now works as a psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

"I chose psychology as my specialty because I've always been fascinated by human behavior and how we think," Reede said. "With my military background, I saw firsthand the mental health challenges many veterans face, along with the barriers to accessing proper care. That’s what led me to pursue nursing in this field."

He is on track to receive a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree in December 2025 from Florida Atlantic University’s Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing.  After obtaining a Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a minor in Health Sciences from the University of Central Florida (2016) and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing (2021), he pursued and completed his Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) with a concentration in Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner in 2024.

During his graduate studies, Reede participated in the Community Academic Partnership Education-Veterans (CAPE-V) grant program, further supporting his commitment to serving the veteran population.

Reede credits two important mentors in his journey: Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing Professor Dr. Beth King and his mother. “Dr. King continues to this day to encourage me to pursue my dreams and goals,” he said. “My mother has always been a fierce influence in my life – she is a role model who lives by her principles. She is everything I strive to be as a human being.”

After graduation, Reede plans to remain with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, where he hopes to make an even greater impact with his Doctor of Nursing Practice degree. “The DNP will open doors to roles in management, education, quality improvement, and more,” he said. “The sky is the limit with a doctorate in nursing.”