From Navy corpsman to future nurse BSN student continues her service through nursing
Madeleine LaGarce started nursing school just ten days after leaving the U.S. Navy. After six years of military service, she was ready for a new challenge.
LaGarce is now in her third semester in the Pacesetter Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program at Cizik School of Nursing at UTHealth Houston.
During her time in the Navy, LaGarce worked as a hospital corpsman, a role similar to a medic. She spent three years in labor and delivery before specializing in trauma care with the Marine Corps. She also taught CPR classes. Her service took her to many parts of the world, including the Middle East and Asia.
LaGarce worked closely with nurses and admired their knowledge, hard work, and compassion for patients. Her experience helped her decide to pursue nursing.
“As a corpsman, I always felt like I wanted to do more for the people that I was taking care of,” she said.
LaGarce said she chose nursing because it is a profession she deeply respects. She is also a first-generation military service member and a first-generation nurse.
When choosing a nursing school, she was drawn to Cizik School of Nursing because of its location in the Texas Medical Center, its strong reputation, its focus on student support, and the clinical experience available to students.
“You get a lot of experience here in the Texas Medical Center,” she said.
Her dedication to military service and academic success has also brought her two forms of financial support: a Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Veteran Scholarship and the Future Nurses Fund, which makes tuition and required fees free for students who meet academic and financial qualifications.
The Future Nurses Fund helps cover her tuition, while the Rodeo scholarship pays for textbooks, scrubs, and other school expenses. Together, the scholarships have eased the financial pressure of nursing school and allowed her to focus on her education.
“Both of those combined have really allowed me to put everything into school and kind of take the distractors out,” she said.
LaGarce expects to graduate in May 2027. She is also participating in the Joan and Stanford Alexander Fellowship in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, an elective offered at Cizik School of Nursing.
After graduation, she hopes to become a flight nurse or work in emergency or trauma care. She enjoys fast-paced environments and the critical thinking these roles require.
She is also considering returning to military service as a nurse in the Navy or joining the Army. Her time in the military remains an important part of her life, and she would welcome the chance to serve again.
LaGarce encourages other nursing students to take advantage of available opportunities and keep working toward their goals.
“Apply for scholarships, keep your grades up, and just know that you can get through the program as long as you put the work in,” she said.
As she prepares for her future in nursing, LaGarce is building on the skills and experience she gained in the Navy to care for patients in a new way.
Merve Erten
