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On November 11, 2024, veterans Laura Manzo ’28 PhD, Craig Manbauman ’25 MSN, and Emma Sardina ’27 MSN will share their nursing and healthcare experiences while serving in the military at a school-wide event, continuing a YSN tradition of veterans telling their stories.

YSN’s strong relationship with the veteran community encompasses students working at the Annual Stand Down event at Veterans Affairs (VA) in West Haven, conducting significant research while collaborating with the VA, and a vibrant constellation of faculty, students, staff, and alumni who have served honorably.

YSN is also currently pursuing the “Principles of Excellence” designation given by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. This designation is awarded to institutions committed to supporting veterans, servicemembers, and their families by following specific guidelines that enhance the quality of their education experience and ensure a high level of academic and career support for veterans.

In honor of Veterans Day 2024, YSN has curated a collection of new and archival reflections on military service shared by members of this elite group.

Kevin Borchert
Classroom Technology and Media Coordinator
United States Marine Corps

Borchert served honorably from 2007 to 2011 and arrived at YSN a few years ago. When reflecting on how to best support veterans, he invited colleagues and friends to be more aware of the constant struggles that veterans deal with but never talk about, due to a culture that was not welcoming to those dialogues.

“It was challenging to adjust from the military mindset to civilian life almost overnight, and this transition is something I still struggle with all these years later,” Borchert said. “I believe programs that teach basic everyday skills and encourage veterans to openly discuss their experiences and trauma are crucial for their success after their military careers.”

Borchert also advocated for understanding that challenges can extend beyond the end of military service.

“Regardless of how one feels about the actions of political figures and their decisions, it’s important not to blame or criticize the men and women who served overseas. We were there to support our fellow service members all while facing the best and worst of life together and at such a young age, and these struggles persist even today. Addressing these ongoing challenges is essential, especially considering the high rates of suicide among veterans. It’s crucial to provide support and understanding to help us transition successfully.”

LaRon Nelson, PhD, RN, FNP, FNAP, FNYAM, FAAN
Independence Foundation Professor of Nursing
US Navy

In a Q&A for Yale Nursing Matters Magazine in 2019, Dr. Nelson traced his nursing journey back to the beginning, while serving in the US Navy aboard the aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy.

“I didn’t have dreams of being a nurse, but I took a career placement test that indicated that nursing was the best fit for me,” Dr. Nelson said. “In a sense, my path to nursing came by way of ‘following orders.’ I applied for a nursing scholarship and was accepted. I spent a year at Naval Station Newport in a program designed to help us transition from military to civilian college life. When I started my first nursing education program at the University of Rochester, I realized that nursing was exactly where I was meant to be.”

Tim McGehee ’22 MSN
Coast Guard

In 2021, then-students Tim McGehee ’22 MSN, Nick Smith ’22 MSN, and alumna Lydia Cristobal ’16 DNP headlined an iteration of the Yale Alumni Association (YAA)’s ongoing “Careers, Life, and Yale” series. 

McGehee grew up in Milford, CT and spent two years at the US Merchant Marine Academy before enlisting in the Coast Guard at age 19. He worked as a mechanic and started thinking about a career in healthcare.

“As a mechanic, it retrained my brain to think a certain way: cause and effect. Align a system, fix a pump, troubleshoot an oil leak, and I got into the science. I always thought of myself as an operator, not someone who wants to sit behind a desk, and I saw healthcare as a way I could do that.”

Nick Smith ’22 MSN
US Army

Smith joined the US Army as a medic directly out of high school and compared his accelerated Army medic training to the intensive Graduate Entry Prespecialty in Nursing (GEPN) course of study at YSN.

In December 2012 Smith was deployed to Afghanistan for one year, where he utilized his medical skills to treat American and Afghan soldiers, as well as Afghan civilians, during combat trauma scenarios. 

Smith later enrolled in Columbia University and conducted research in Kenya and Illinois but felt something was missing.

“When I was finishing school, I enjoyed it and found it very interesting but didn’t think the research was super life changing on a day-to-day basis,” Smith said. After consulting friend and YSN alum Jonathan Harper ’21 MSN, he knew he wanted to do something more meaningful. Harper encouraged him to check out YSN. “I came up for a weekend and visited and that was kind of the end of it,” Smith said.

Lydia Cristobal ’16 DNP
US Army

Dr. Cristobal began her career as a licensed practical nurse who was then recruited by the Army. When Dr. Cristobal became a sergeant, the Army decided to designate nurses as medics. After the war started in Iraq, her unit was activated to serve at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. As a nurse on a cardiothoracic surgery unit, most of her patients had gunshot wounds to the chest.

“It was a turning point in my life,” Dr. Cristobal said. “What do I do as a mere practical nurse? I couldn’t do anything. I absorbed their pain; I was a sponge.” But she knew she wanted to make a more systematic impact, so she went back to school and earned her Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) at YSN.

“I think that being a veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom changed my life and changed me into a better leader,” Dr. Cristobal said. “I couldn’t be who I am now had I not joined the Army. It definitely made me a tougher person, a better person.”

Lori Rasile
Director of Finance at YSN
US Army, CT National Guard

A third-generation veteran, Rasile was honored in 2019 for her work as founder of the Yale Veterans Network.

“My father’s mother and both grandfathers served in the Army during WWII,” Rasile said. “My father served as a pilot in the Air Force during Vietnam. Growing up, I was so proud and inspired by their dedication to our country that I continued the legacy of service by joining the Army and CT National Guard as an intelligence analysist.”

A highlight of her work, Rasile said, was founding the veterans network and supporting its mission to make Yale an employer of choice for veterans. “As founder and former co-chair, I have been able to bridge the gap between veterans and the Yale community by supporting access to jobs, continuing education, and community service projects with other academic and military partners.”

Toys for Tots 2024

YSN is serving as the annual Yale West Campus location for the Toys for Tots program administered by the US Marine Corps Reserve. New, unwrapped donations can be deposited in the box at YSN’s front entrance at 400 West Campus Drive through December 13.