June Rowe-Hill, Fuld Fellow (ABS Program)

• Program: ABS Nursing
• Hometown: Houston, TX
• Favorite Self-Care Activity: Cooking a great meal
• Previous Education: BS in Behavioral Neuroscience, Northeastern University

While I never grew up thinking I would be a nurse, I now cannot think of anything else I’d rather be. I am originally from Houston, and during my time at Northeastern University, I took a chance on a neuroscience degree and grew to love science and the complexity of the human body. After volunteering at a nearby hospital, I knew I wanted to be in health care and proceeded to spend the rest of my undergraduate time preparing to take the MCAT and apply to medical school. Ultimately, after working as a medical scribe at Mercy Hospital in South Buffalo, I discovered that being a physician was not the right career for me. I wanted to be closer to the bedside and naturally gravitated towards nursing.  

Nursing encompasses service and providing care to those in need, but is also a profession rooted in critical thinking that demands intelligence and resourcefulness. I enjoy that there are always ways to improve and there’s always a new thing to learn, and ultimately I chose nursing because I wanted to serve other people and be challenged every day.

I knew I definitely wanted to stay in Buffalo for my nursing degree and found that UB SON not only offers an accelerated program that fit with my previous degree coursework, but is also well known for its strong relationships with clinical sites in the area.

I can see myself being a labor and delivery nurse. When I was eight, I saw my baby sister come into this world, and it was about as scary, confusing and enthralling as you could imagine for a 8-year-old. I can remember almost every detail, and I can recall how the delivery nurse was my mom’s advocate, coach, partner and guide throughout the entire process. Being part of my own family’s experience helps me to appreciate the privilege and joy it is to participate in this process for other families and how critical the role of the delivery nurse is.

Being from Houston, I appreciate good weather, and I seize any opportunity to be outside. I spend my free time tending to my plants, discovering my neighborhood and biking through Delaware Park. I also enjoy cooking for both myself and others and am always on the lookout for a new recipe or hosting a pot luck.

I was very involved with research during my time at Northeastern University and have a published paper in Brain, Behavior and Immunity. I worked in a neuroscience lab for three years and learned so much about wet lab techniques, data analysis and how to form sound conclusions. While I did not pursue a career in research, I believe understanding data and research techniques is a foundational aspect to many fields, especially nursing.

If there’s anything that being in Buffalo has taught me, it’s the value of roots and the importance of family, so post-graduation I see myself returning to Houston and getting my license in Texas.

After gaining a few years of experience, I would like to explore travel nursing. While traveling, I’d love to practice in more rural labor and delivery settings, as many rural communities are underserved, and I believe it would be a challenging yet rewarding experience.