Jason Strickland M'11
Balancing Act
In an age when everyone feels overwhelmed, Jason Strickland
M’11 could make a justifiable claim for exhaustion. But instead, he
methodically organizes his calendar, accommodating the responsibilities of
family, work, graduate school, an internship, and the National Guard.
A Full Schedule
Enrolled in the College’s Family Nurse Practitioner graduate program,
Strickland:
- works part time as a home care nurse
- attends evening classes
- and devotes one full day at his clinical internship at the submarine base in Groton.
“Weekends get filled up pretty quickly with family, studying, and Guard drills,” he said. Married with two children, Strickland has been in the National Guard for 19 years.
Finding his Field
During his freshman year at UConn, he enlisted in the Guard as
a dental technician and was transferred to a medical unit. The experience inspired
him to pursue a career in direct care. He
holds degrees in Nutritional Sciences and Nursing and currently serves as a
captain in the Guard.
“Nursing suits me,” he said. “Every day is different because every patient is
different. I like helping people and I like figuring out the puzzle — working
through the disease process to help make people better.”
Military Deployment
After a deployment in Iraq where he ran a patient ward on a military base,
Strickland decided to become a family nurse practitioner. The field appealed to
him because it “trains you to treat patients across the life span. Also, it is
one of the few nurse practitioner programs the Army recognize.”
Transferring In
Strickland started his graduate work at Southern Connecticut
State University but transferred to SJC. “The program here aligns with the Army
requirements. It has a semester each in pediatric, adult and women’s health,”
he said. “I also appreciate how the faculty and staff have work with me to transfer
into the program."
Looking Ahead
Strickland plans to continue his “balancing act”
until he finishes his master’s degree. After that, he plans to look for work in
a family practice. “I’ll hit my 20 year mark with the Guard soon which makes me
eligible for retirement,” he said. “I’ll probably stay with it a little longer,
though.”
