Featured Testimonial About Creighton University
One of the best parts about Creighton is that, even though I’ve graduated, I don’t feel like I’ve left anything or anyone behind. Creighton University and the people I met there will always be a part of who I am.
Recent alumna: Cassidy Nipp, BSN’25
From: Omaha
Activities while at Creighton: Schlegel Center for Service and Justice trips, Campus Ministry, Christian Life Communities, the Institute for Latin American Concern in the Dominican Republic.
Mentors: Father Larry Gillick, SJ, director of the Deglman Center for Ignatian Spirituality; Fr. Jeff Sullivan, SJ, associate director of Campus Ministry; Cristina Hiddleston, assistant director of the Schlegel Center for Service and Justice; and Anne Harty, EdD, RN, FNP, College of Nursing assistant professor.
Why Creighton matters: “Creighton ignites your heart in ways you could never plan for or expect. There can be a lot of darkness in the world, but with all those hearts on fire gathered in the same place, Creighton is full of light.”
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By Micah Mertes
Every day at Creighton, Cassidy Nipp walked with the Jesuits spiritually. Sometimes she jogged with them.
For years, Nipp has met her friend Father Larry Gillick, SJ (or “Fr. G” as she calls the longtime Creighton Jesuit) weekly in the Kiewit Fitness Center to go for a run. To guide Fr. Gillick (who is blind) around the indoor track, Nipp would tie their wrists together so they could run side by side.
“We talk about everything on these runs,” Nipp said. “About God, life updates, the lessons we’re learning in life, all the highs and lows. Fr. G’s Jesuit perspective has shown me how to embrace the messiness of being an imperfect human and how to extend grace to everyone around me. Our runs are the purest form of accompaniment I have ever known.”
For Nipp, every aspect of her Creighton experience was perfectly intertwined: the curriculum and clinicals of her nursing degree, the service and spirituality of the donor-supported, mission-driven programs she joined. Even, as pictured, her faith and physical fitness found common ground. “It all came together for me at Creighton.”
Through Campus Ministry, Nipp found a like-minded faith community, with prayer groups, weekly reflections and regular retreats that carried her through her four years at Creighton.
“All these moments taught me how to receive God’s goodness, deepen my faith and encounter the world through the lens of Ignatian spirituality,” Nipp said.
Schlegel Center for Service and Justice trips shaped Nipp’s understanding of what it means to serve. “It’s not about going to a place and ‘fixing it.’ It’s about immersing yourself in a community, walking alongside others, learning from them and maybe, in the process, finding new paths to making a difference in the world.”
Nipp is now making her difference in the world as a pediatric nurse at Children’s Nebraska in Omaha. She previously worked as a Certified Nursing Assistant at Children’s, which reaffirmed how much she loves working with children.
“There are moments where kids really need someone to look out for them because everything they experience impacts them, and you have to make sure every interaction is so careful and intentional,” Nipp said. “This role is perfect for me, and I feel blessed to have found it. I’m also grateful that the College of Nursing exposed me to such a wide variety of specialties and experiences.”
Nipp said the threads of Creighton’s Jesuit spirituality and the value of caring for the whole person are woven into every new patient interaction.
“At Creighton, I learned what it looks like to truly see another human being in their totality,” she said. “To honor them and embrace them.”
And, sometimes, to run with them.
In May, Nipp met Fr. Gillick for one last KFC run together before she graduated the following week. They hadn’t jogged together in a while and had a lot to catch up on. They agreed that this wouldn’t be their final run together. They plan to meet back on the track this summer whenever they can.
“One of the best parts about Creighton is that, even though I’ve graduated, I don’t feel like I’ve left anything or anyone behind,” Nipp said. “Creighton University and the people I met there will always be a part of who I am. The things I’ve learned here and the relationships I’ve formed, I’ll keep them by my side for the rest of my life.”
