Committed to Equity and Inclusion

Emmala Le knew she wanted to be a nurse from a young age. For Le, there was not a single moment in time that decided her future, but a series of experiences that all seemed to point her toward a nursing career. Like any job, a career in nursing requires a certain set of skills and characteristics in order to be successful. Some skills, as Le discovered through the years, come naturally while others are gained through education. For instance, while growing up, Le dedicated a lot of time taking care of her two younger siblings – with whom she often felt like a second mother – with the type of nurturing instinct she says just came instinctively. And in school, she excelled in biology and anatomy – her marks were so good she qualified to take advanced courses.

And it seemed even in her downtime, she was pointed toward a future in nursing. While reading the book The Fault in Our Stars, a tear-jerking tale of a young girl with cancer, the main character notes at one point that she had a favorite nurse while in the hospital. Reading it as a young girl herself, Le says she was moved by the notion. “No kid wants to be in the hospital,” she says.

“It felt so powerful, to see what a difference a good nurse could make. It left a lasting impression on me.” After all this, choosing a career in nursing just felt right to Le, who feels blessed to have had the many experiences that led her to nursing and to Duquesne. “Along my journey, there were so many little moments pointing me in this direction,” she says. “I just knew. And now that I am in it and on my way, I know I was right.”

A Voice for Others

Aside from pursuing her academic career at Duquesne, Le has built an impressive student resume as a defender of and a voice for social causes. This includes her work welcoming incoming groups of underrepresented students to campus and helping them connect with faculty and staff – and with each other – as a pre-orientation director with the Duquesne University Center for Excellence in Diversity and Student Inclusion; her role as a Duquesne community engaged scholar; and when she served as an intern for the Alliance for Refugee Youth Support and Education.