Third-Generation Student Graduates from CSM

Megan Hardisty was just a little girl when her mother, Gina, first showed her College of Saint Mary’s campus, where she had earned her bachelor’s degree in early childhood education.

“We talked about her college experience,” Megan said. “I pointed to my room,” Gina added.

It wasn’t the first time Megan had heard about CSM. Family gatherings often echoed with stories from her grandmother, Nancy Kaup Steffen, and her aunts, Eileen Steffen Schlecht and Sara Steffen, all of whom had ties to the University.

So, when Megan decided to pursue nursing, the decision was easy – CSM was the natural choice.

“It just felt right,” she said. “I’m carrying on the family tradition.”

Megan graduated with a bachelor’s degree in nursing on May 18 when CSM hosted its 100th Commencement in the Lied Fitness Center Fieldhouse.

The family’s connection to CSM all started with Nancy, Megan’s grandmother. She attended CSM for a year in 1966 before marrying and starting a family. In 1989, Megan’s aunt, Eileen earned an associate degree in general studies. Megan’s mother, Gina, followed and graduated in 1994. Another aunt, Sara, also attended CSM.

In addition, Megan’s great-grandmother, Bernice Ebel, established a scholarship to ensure other members of her family and any resident of West Point, NE, had the opportunity to attend college. Both Megan and her mother benefitted from the scholarship.

Nancy was thrilled when her granddaughter called to tell her she would be attending CSM.

“I thought it was pretty awesome,” she said. “I’m pretty proud of her and all she’s accomplished.”

For Gina, sharing her CSM experience with her daughter was familiar. She remembers her mother telling her own stories about college. When she decided to attend CSM, she felt a connection to her mom.

“I could walk into those buildings knowing my mom had walked these same halls,” she reminisced.

As Megan followed in her footsteps, Gina couldn’t be prouder. “There’s something about this place that our family is connected to. It’s cool to see that thread woven throughout,” she said. “I knew Megan was going to have a great experience. CSM was going to deliver a great education. I was proud she found her path at College of Saint Mary.”

Megan discovered the community her mother had told her about.

“My mom talked about how everyone knew everyone, and she developed good relationships with her professors,” Megan said. “I love my professors. As I got further into the program, I really liked the values the nursing program instilled in me and the overall mission statement of the college.”

Megan chose to become a nurse after serving as a lifeguard in high school. She initially thought she’d become a nurse in an emergency room. But in nursing school, she fell in love with pediatrics.

“I love kids and I’ve really fallen in love with caring for complex kiddos who have a lot of medical issues,” Megan said.

Megan’s journey through the nursing program also offered diverse and enlightening experiences, including a trip to the Dominican Republic where students and faculty helped care for patients in a poor community.

“They were so grateful for us,” she said.

Most recently, rather than attending clinical, CSM nursing students helped in the tornado relief efforts in Elkhorn.

“I thought that was such a good eye-opening experience,” Megan said. “I think I got more out of it than any clinical even though I wasn’t giving meds or giving any patient care. I was helping people rebuild their lives. That’s something you don’t get to do every day.”

Following graduation, Megan will begin her preceptorship at Children’s Nebraska in Omaha. She’ll start as a full-time registered nurse in September on a medical-surgical floor.

“I just want to make a positive impact on my patients’ lives,” she said. “I want them to know they can come to the hospital and receive good care and have someone who will listen.”