William Zennie Reed was just a kid when he made the decision that one day, he’d become a nurse. It all started when his mom, a hairstylist at the time, decided to make a big change in her life. “Around 2009, at the age of forty-five, she decided to go back to school and become an RN,” says Reed. “I remember her coming home from school and practicing listening to my heart and lungs and doing assessments on me. And she would go through her textbooks with me, and it all piqued my interest. I was around eleven years old, and it was at that point I decided to become a nurse too.”
This spring, Reed did just that, graduating TLU, becoming a nurse, and also being commissioned as a lieutenant in the US Army Nurse Corps.
He hadn’t originally planned to become an Army nurse, but his goals took shape after he joined the Army National Guard as an infantryman in order to pay for school. “After six months of training with them, they helped me pay for my associate’s degree and an EMT-B (Emergency Medical Technician-Basic) certification course. Then I decided to find a university with an Army ROTC program to continue my time in the Active Duty Army while doing a job that I love.”
As luck would have it, TLU has a partnership agreement with Texas State University in San Marcos. TLU students can cross-enroll at Texas State in either Army ROTC or Air Force ROTC, and get credit at TLU for courses taken in those programs. “I took the required Military Science courses while enrolled in the (TLU) nursing program, and the Texas State professors worked with my schedule and theirs in order to help me properly attend their classes,” Reed explains. “Because of my workload while in the nursing program, communication between both colleges’ professors was mandatory and both programs worked with me to meet their educational goals.”
“William demonstrates extraordinary dedication and resilience,” says Dr. Cecilia Trinidad, assistant professor of nursing at TLU. “Balancing military service, full-time work as an anesthesia technician, and the responsibilities of new parenthood—all while excelling academically—is nothing short of remarkable. His consistent reliability, timely submission of assignments, and unwavering commitment to his education, profession, and family set a standard that inspires peers and faculty alike. The program at Texas Lutheran University was blessed to be a part of his nursing journey!”
Now that he’s passed his NCLEX (National Council Licensure Examination, the exam required to become a licensed nurse), Reed is in the process of creating a wish list of his preferred duty stations. “I send that up my chain of command and I wait for orders,” he explains. Like every Army Nurse, he’ll be attending the Basic Officer Leadership Course (BOLC) at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio for ten weeks. “Luckily, I already live here and don’t have to move like other newly commissioned officers. At BOLC you are prepared for your leadership role through a combination of academic instruction, physical training, and hands-on medical exercises to develop your leadership abilities while ensuring you are prepared for a variety of medical tasks in both combat and peacetime operations.”
Once BOLC is complete, Reed will be precepted by another Army Nurse on the medical-surgical floor for as many as six months. When he gets the green light there, he’ll be given his own full patient load. After a year of that, he can choose whatever specialty nursing career path he’d like. “I will be picking Critical Care to work in the ICU,” he says.
It’s a challenging path, but Reed says he feels that TLU’s nursing program prepared him well. “My professors were passionate about what they do and about educating us,” he says. “Through their expertise, testing, lectures, and willingness to assist us outside of their normal hours, I felt confident taking my NCLEX and I feel confident being prepared as a nurse. My cohort has gotten around 945 Clinical Hours throughout the years in our program and during my final semester I was able to work twenty shifts in the ICU. These opportunities are what prepare you.”
But the dream doesn’t end with passing his NCLEX or earning his degree—or even with being commissioned into the ANC. “Academically, my dream is to complete CRNA (Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist) school through the Army’s CRNA program and earn my DNP (Doctor of Nursing Practice) in Nurse Anesthesia,” he says. “I enjoyed being an Anesthesia Technician so much before nursing school that I would like the opportunity to practice anesthesia, and the Army offers that education fully funded while giving you a salary.”
Reed’s momentum shows no signs of lagging—in part, at least, because of his dedication to the people he loves most in the world—his family. “Personally, I hope to give my beautiful wife and daughter the best life they could ask for while helping them pursue their own goals and dreams. Now that I am done, I can assist my wife in pursuing her career in Speech Language Pathology.”
Looking back over his undergrad years while looking ahead toward his future, Reed holds the strength of conviction that he’s on the right path. “Overall, this entire experience has been challenging, to balance the hectic schedule, but now that it's over, it is very rewarding and well worth it. Now I get to serve my community and country, provide for my family, and continue my educational goals. So many milestones have been reached, and I am very excited for the future.”