Ursuline College: Jacqueline Cannarella

Here's a professor who's truly dedicated: She drives 120 miles each day (she lives in Vermilion, Ohio) to teach at Ursuline. "Home away from home" takes on new meaning for this longtime friend of the college.

Professor Cannarella's bachelor's in nursing is from St. John College of Cleveland, which closed its doors and became part of Ursuline in the mid-1970s. (In fact, alumni of St. John's currently gather with UC alums to celebrate class reunions.) So it was somewhat of a "homecoming" when she applied for a teaching job 18 years ago at UC. She has been here, happily, ever since.

Her fundamentals of nursing classes are required for all sophomore nursing students. But Professor Cannarella goes a step beyond for Ursuline in the name of the nursing program - specifically, recruitment and advising. Nursing Career Day and the Young Cleveland Nurses Camp - two popular visit programs for high school students -- both fall under her authority. Interested students from several counties attend, and are introduced to the array of careers available in the caring profession.

Caring, in fact, is the main reason Cannarella teaches. "While much of the classes are theory, I also try to help students understand nursing from a personal standpoint. I try to develop a sense of caring in all the students, because I believe this is the essence of nursing."

"I experience a great joy and feeling of satisfaction watching students receive their diplomas the night of Graduation," she says. "It is especially exciting to see students who have struggled, for many different reasons, succeed. Their tears and joy become my tears and joy!"

"Because we are a small school and because we have a very dedicated faculty, I feel we have excellent relationships with our students. I have an open door policy and make that very clear in the classroom. I strongly advise students to see me whenever needed, whether it be academic, personal, or just to say 'hi'."

Read about another Ursuline professor.