Elizabeth Kay Thomas

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“My passion has been to strive to have a positive impact on the world. Witnessing the suffering of people and not having adequate resources to do something to end that suffering gave me the incentive to go to nursing school.”

  • Alumni of: 2009 Graduate Scholarship Program
  • Resides: Independence, MO
  • Hometown: Independence, MO
  • Age: 48

Biography

PROFILE: 2002 is a year that Elizabeth Kay Thomas looks back on with sadness, but there was a silver lining in addition to the heartache.  It was the year her husband died suddenly and she was left with three children and few marketable business skills. Although as a housewife she had thought about beginning college, she couldn’t justify the expense. At her husband’s funeral she made a decision about how she would support herself and her family. In response to the inevitable questions from concerned friends about what she was going to do, she said she was considering college to prepare for a career as a nurse. Within two months Kay was enrolled in community college, “an experience I found to be both challenging and stimulating.” Along the way during those first two years, she says she met wonderful, dedicated people who supported her, and she “began to feel more alive than I had in years.” Now a registered nurse in Missouri, she wants to take her career to the next level. With an M.B.A. she hopes to be in a position to provide improved quality healthcare with a cost effective strategy.

 INSPIRATION: She was motivated in community college by Dr. Brian Mitchell, her microbiology instructor who provided clarity and guidance as she embarked on her first days in college. “He gave me the inspiration to continue with college, especially in difficult times.” 
 
ASPIRATION: “I have a life-long dream of helping people reach personal wellness goals,” Kay says, noting that with continued advances in medical care, the evidence indicates that prevention is still the best cure for disease. She hopes to work in corporate settings to provide education for employees to work toward fitness goals in a holistic model, caring for the physical, emotional, environmental, spiritual, social, and psychological needs of people.
 
MAKING A DIFFERENCE: Kay joined one of her nursing professors at Graceland University on a medical service mission to Jamaica, one of many volunteer activities she was involved with during college.
 
ACCOLADES: She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Graceland and was awarded the Vida Butterworth Award for Scholarship in 2008 for the highest GPA of graduating seniors. 
 
INTERESTING FACT: She enjoys the “simple things” in life. “Smelling the roses, hanging clothes on the line, the ocean air in my face, Starbucks with a friend.”

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