Thanks to family’s support, Marian student to graduate with nursing degree

By John Shaughnessy

Like most college graduates in the Class of 2010, Laura Ham will be surrounded by her family members on her special day.

And like most college graduates, Laura knows that her graduation from Marian University in Indianapolis on May 8 wouldn’t have been possible without them.

Indeed, when she looks back on her four years of college, the 32-year-old Laura knows that her achievement is shared by her husband, her four children, her parents and her in-laws. After all, her success is the story of a family facing the harsh economic realities of the first decade of the 21st century with a hope for the future and a belief in each other.

Their story begins in 2006, a year when her husband, John, first learned the news that the Ford Motor Company plant in Indianapolis where he worked would eventually close. At the time, Laura was a stay-at-home mom, caring for their four children who range in age today from 11 to 6.

“When we found out the Ford plant was going to close, we realized one of us had to go back to school,” says Laura, who is a 1995 graduate of Father Thomas Scecina Memorial High School in Indianapolis. “I went to college right after high school, but I didn’t stay in school. I’ve always wanted to do nursing. It’s a passion of mine.”

She entered the nursing program at Marian in 2006, choosing the university because of its smaller campus, individual attention and Catholic environment. As she studied in class, she also worked part time as a student nurse at Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis. Then there were her roles as a wife and mother.

“It’s been challenging, but with a lot of support from my family and friends, I’ve been able to succeed,” says Laura, a member of Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ Parish in Indianapolis. “Our oldest child is autistic. He requires a lot of help with homework. Between John and me, we help him. This past year, it’s been more of John because I’ve been gone a lot with school. And my mom and dad and my in-laws have been very helpful in getting our kids off to school every morning.”

As she looks back on the past four years, Laura remembers the joy of watching her three oldest children receive their first Communion. Now the family will celebrate her special day—and her employment at Methodist Hospital as a registered nurse in the labor and delivery unit. The family also counts their blessings that John still has his job at the Ford plant for a while longer.

“I’ve always felt called to help the poor and the sick,” Laura says. “Everyone is very relieved, very happy and very proud that I’m graduating. I’ve always had faith that if I worked hard, I could achieve this. I feel my hard work has paid off now. I couldn’t have done it without everyone who has been there for me.” †