Featured Testimonial About Creighton University
These experiences and my clinicals all taught me the value of compassionate leadership — of showing up for others and helping them find their place, just like others did for me.
Ola Hezel has walked alongside patients at both the beginning and end of life — from premature infants in the neonatal ICU to adults in their final moments of comfort care.
“Over the past few years, I have had the honor of caring for patients during their most vulnerable moments,” she said. “I’ve seen some of the most intimate corners of people’s lives.”
At Creighton, Ola has said “yes” to every challenge and opportunity. She joined a sorority and served as recruitment chair, took on leadership roles in New Student Orientation, and served on the Governance Council for the Nursing Leadership Scholars. She was also inducted into Sigma Theta Tau, the international honor society of nursing.
“These experiences and my clinicals all taught me the value of compassionate leadership — of showing up for others and helping them find their place, just like others did for me,” she said.
It was the Grit Scholarship that made this journey possible — a scholarship Ola first heard about while attending Marian High School.
“I smiled and nodded, not fully understanding what this opportunity would come to mean,” she recalls. “At 17 years old, I never could have imagined how perfectly my college experience would work out.”
Now, Ola is launching her nursing career at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, where she’ll care for patients recovering from strokes, brain surgeries, and neurological conditions.
“Being a Grit Scholar in the College of Nursing has meant everything to me. I am grateful beyond words.”
On May 17, Ola was one of 17 Grit Scholars who crossed the stage at Creighton University’s undergraduate commencement — each one a powerful reminder of what scholarships make possible. Funded by the Charles and Mary Heider Family Foundation, the Grit Scholarship provides financial support and helps students unlock their potential and become the leaders they were meant to be.
"The Grit Scholars are students who embody relentless determination and perseverance in the face of challenges,” said D’Lynn Buck, Grit Scholars program director. “Through their education in the Jesuit tradition as well as their formation in the Grit Scholar program, they become difference-makers and next-level leaders."
From nursing and finance to social justice and advocacy, Grit Scholars have used their time at Creighton to grow into bold, compassionate changemakers — ready to leave their mark on the world.
Scholarships remain the top priority of Forward Blue, Creighton’s fundraising campaign. Since its launch, donors have created 472 new scholarships, opening doors for more than 6,500 students — and counting.
