A Call to Serve
Julia Treme ’13, Class of 2026
After the tragedy of 9/11, many Americans felt called to serve their country. Julia Treme ’13, Class of 2026, was one of those people. She enlisted in the military, and it was through that service that Julia found her passion for patient care.
“I was a student studying biology and chemistry, and I had no desire whatsoever to do any hands-on patient care,” Julia explains. “But I ended up enlisting in the army as a medic, and it was through my training and experience in the military that I really came to love direct patient care, and I knew I wanted to be a nurse.”
Having already experienced the top-notch education and community interaction provided at Grand Valley, Julia did not even consider other institutions for her second degree. As soon as she was able, Julia enrolled in the second degree Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program at Grand Valley.
“My track of the DNP degree is in health system leadership, which prepares nurses for executive or leadership nursing roles, and really assists us in learning to translate current nursing and medical research into best clinical practice,” Julia explains.
Julia loves the connection and care found at Grand Valley. From being treated with kindness and respect everywhere she goes, to making personal and professional connections in and out of the classroom, Julia feels at home on campus. A large part of that is due to the extensive veteran services offered at Grand Valley.
“Not only do veterans have physical spaces on campus where we can really build community and camaraderie with one another, but we also have all of the resources we might potentially need right at our fingertips,” Julia describes.
In addition to three veteran’s lounges on each campus, the GVSU Peter Secchia Military and Veterans Resource Center offers a wide range of services and resources. From scholarships specifically for veterans, to resume writing workshops designed to translate military experience into civilian skills, GVSU strives to support student veterans at every step of their education.
“I think the way in which the veteran resources have been most helpful to me personally are just through the ease with which I can have any potential question answered,” Julia explains. “The veteran resource network here is so great. It connects me directly with the person I need to speak with instead of just giving me a list of phone numbers to call.”
These resources would not be available to GVSU student veterans without the support of donors.
“To our Grand Valley donors who support our veteran resources, I would like to say thank you so much,” Julia said. “We benefit greatly in building community in these beautiful spaces that have been provided, but we also benefit directly from resources and events that can really help advance us in our careers.”