SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital Nurse Overcomes Adversity, Achieves Educational Goals

Eritrea Habtemariam, who lives in the Fox Park area of St. Louis City, was among the 500 students to be recognized in WGU Missouri’s graduation ceremony, held at the Touhill Performing Arts Center in St. Louis on June 24. Once a refugee, her success is a testimony to the power of family, hard work and determination. Habtemariam, a telemetry nurse with SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital in Richmond Heights, graduated with a Master of Science in Nursing Leadership and Management.

Habtemariam was born in Ethiopia, with her father hailing from Eritrea - a country located in the horn of Africa that is bordered by Sudan to the west and Ethiopia to the south. When she was just five years old, her father was forced to flee to Sudan to avoid persecution after conflict broke out between the countries of Ethiopia and Eritrea. Eventually, Habtemariam’s mother began the 500-mile journey to join him, bringing along her two young children. They left Habtemariam’s grandmother and uncle, people who had been very important in her life. The trip was arduous, with the three traveling by night and finding safety in makeshift camps with other refugees.

Six years later, Habtemariam’s family had the opportunity to travel to the United States as refugees. Habtemariam experienced feeling lost as she attended school and was unable to speak or understand English, but she gained strength from watching her parents overcome their struggles and eventually learned her ABC’s and so much more. At age 16 she received another blow when she learned that her grandmother, living in Ethiopia, had been killed by a drunk driver. At that moment, she decided to devote her life to helping others, which led to her career in nursing.

Habtemariam’s passion, along with life-long encouragement from her father, would later drive her to continue her education at WGU Missouri. As a single mother of three, she had already completed her BSN but decided to go back to school at WGU Missouri to get her master’s degree. After struggling once before to achieve this goal, she didn’t even tell her parents she was pursuing further education until she had her graduation date in hand, surprising them with the announcement just a month before she was set to walk in WGU Missouri’s commencement ceremony. She notes that both her network of close friends and her amazing children were a huge factor in helping her to achieve this academic success.

Habtemariam was able to take advantage of WGU Missouri’s competency-based model to complete her classes at her own pace and believes that the degree she has earned from WGU Missouri will be key in helping her continue to grow professionally and personally.

“As my journey at WGU comes to an end, I believe I have gained the knowledge to become a better nurse, a leader and an educator,” Habtemariam said. “I know, without a doubt, my life’s journey is and will always be to serve others with love, compassion, dignity and understanding.

WGU Missouri Commencement by the Numbers:

• WGU Missouri graduates represent 160 cities across the state and more than 70 counties.
• 303 undergraduate and 209 graduate degrees were conferred.
• The average age of the graduates is 39; the youngest grad is 20; the oldest is 69.
• 91 percent of the graduates are over the age of 27.
• 43 percent of the graduates represent the first generation in their family to complete college.
• Degree distribution by college:
  • College of Business – 158
  • College of Health Professions and Nursing – 179
  • College of Information Technology – 55

• Teachers College – 120