Hanna Lazio ’16
When Hanna Lazio ’16 was named valedictorian of her high school class of 800+ in Patchogue, New York, she applied to 14 colleges—many of them Ivy League—but the only Christian one of the group was Messiah. Although she had applied as an engineer everywhere else, she knew Messiah had a great nursing program.
“I got tons of emails from colleges but didn’t look at any of them,” she said. “I was put in this position of being in the spotlight. I felt called to come to Messiah. When you honor God’s decisions, God’s going to use that in ways you can’t even imagine.”
Through her courses and clinicals, she said her professors supported her and understood her holistically—“They saw me at my worst and still saw the potential”—and, in turn, she began to understand her patients the same way.
“God looks at us and sees our potential and beauty,” said Lazio. “That’s how I’ve learned to look at patients and people in general.”
After Commencement, she returned home to New York for the summer to study for and pass the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX). She returned to Pennsylvania in July to work at Penn State Hershey Medical Center.
“While I miss the beaches on Long Island and my family, I look forward to starting life on my own with a solid foundation of values, leadership skills and nursing education,” said Lazio. “I feel prepared for a bright future thanks to Messiah College!”