
On June 13, five graduates from the Loma Linda University School of Nursing (LLUSN) off-campus Master of Science in Nursing Education program arrived in Loma Linda to attend graduation. A luncheon was hosted in their honor by the Global Health Institute (GHI) and LLUSN, with Shawn Collins, PhD, CRNA, FAANA, Dean, LLUSN; Anne Berit Petersen, PhD, RN, Director of Global Nursing; Jan Nick, PhD, RN, Director, Off-Campus MS Program; as well as members of the GHI team.
The graduates—Zheng Kun (Zhejiang University Affiliated Children’s Hospital, China), Jiao Haitao and Ouyang Xiaoping (Zhejiang University Affiliated Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, China), Peng Panpan (China), and Maydi Diaz Perez (Angola)—celebrated their upcoming graduation and shared updates on their continued work as global nurse leaders.
These graduates were part of the fifth and largest cohort of LLUSN’s off-campus Master of Science in Nursing Education program, which began in 2020 in response to the global need for advanced education and the development of nurse leaders. Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, 44 students from 14 countries completed a rigorous blend of online learning and annual in-person sessions at Asia-Pacific International University (AIU) in Thailand.
One of those students, Maydi Diaz Perez, began her journey to LLU while serving as a missionary nurse in Angola, where she lived and worked for eight years alongside her family. “Most master’s programs required in-person attendance, and in Angola, there were no graduate schools,” she said. “When I learned about this program during a Global Health Conference, it felt like God was saying, ‘After all these years of service, here is your opportunity to study.’”
Throughout their studies, cohort members balanced academic work with frontline service as nurse educators, clinicians, and administrators across diverse health systems. “It didn’t matter where you were physically located,” Maydi reflected. “Our classroom felt like a family. We had amazing professors who not only taught us professionally but shared the love of Jesus.”
Maydi shared how her education has transformed her calling: “LLU’s School of Nursing empowered me to be even more caring, compassionate, and professionally devoted to nursing. I’m already seeing the difference in how I lead and serve.”
Jan Nick, PhD, RN, coordinator for this long-established legacy program, stated, “We are immensely proud of their unwavering commitment to advancing their education despite huge global challenges during their tenure as students. They have already brought changes to their institutions and have elevated nursing practices worldwide."
The recent reunion was a reminder of the lasting impact of this unique global program—and the enduring connections it fosters.