Edson College alumnus stands out for all the right reasons

Realizing dreams is something Graham Sawicki has become an expert at. When the Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation alumnus decided to pursue nursing he did so with gusto.

Sawicki methodically worked his way up the health care ladder, starting out as a nursing assistant and then becoming a registered nurse. His most recent accomplishment? Earning a Family Nurse Practitioner, DNP.

“This program helped me build my confidence in my ability to be a provider and reassured me that I can do this,” said Sawicki.

Despite his status now as an expert dream achiever, how he got here was not exactly the stuff of fairytales. 

Sawicki’s interest in nursing was first piqued as a pre-teen. He was diagnosed with cancer when he was just 13 and ended up spending a lot of time in the hospital. It’s not a place any kid wants to be.

While he didn’t know it back then, those visits and stays planted a seed for his career today.

“The nursing staff made a significant impact in my life, always making me laugh and just feel like a kid, rather than a patient,” he said.

Eventually, he went into remission but that wouldn’t be the last time cancer wreaked havoc on his family. A few years later, Sawicki’s mom, who was a nurse, died from the disease.

After losing his mom he realized one of the best ways he could honor her was by following in her footsteps and becoming a nurse.

“I suppose that was a great gift she left me with, direction and a sense of purpose.”

Those personal experiences were the catalyst that helped Sawicki decide on nursing as a profession to pursue and in doing so, he found himself standing out. In the beginning, his literal presence was enough to draw attention.

As one of just a handful of men in both his classes and in his various health roles over the years, he attracted a lot of questions and assumptions.

“Going in as a male nursing assistant, I noticed my patients always asked if I was going to be a doctor after this, even though they could tell that I loved my job. And I was always like, maybe but my plan is to go into nursing.”

Then, when he became an RN, he says there were several occasions where patients or family members assumed he was the doctor on the team, even though he was clearly dressed in nursing scrubs and introduced himself as a nurse.

For his part, Sawicki isn’t surprised by the fact that he attracts interest and believes most people are well-intentioned. After all, the societal norm is that nursing is a female-led industry and it is often categorized as a feminine career.

“People seem to think nursing and caring for others is strictly a maternal or female thing,” he said. “I’ve always been pretty progressive in my way of thinking and universally I just want to help people. In nursing, I have the best opportunity to do that.”

He’s perfectly happy smashing stereotypes and providing excellent care along the way.  And, as his career went on, he found himself living his dream, working as a pediatric oncology nurse.

“I hadn’t made a plan for after that, honestly that old adage ‘if you love what you do you never work a day in your life’ is totally true and that’s where I was at,” he said.

Still, he knew he could do more for his patients. That’s when he found Edson College’s Family Nurse Practitioner, Doctor of Nursing Practice program, and decided to enroll.

Three tough years later he graduated, achieving his ultimate dream of earning the highest nursing degree and becoming a nurse practitioner. 

“The DNP I earned here, truly makes me feel empowered and I’m eternally grateful to all of the staff and instructors who made this dream a reality.”

With all of the knowledge and experience he’s gained he’s put it to good use, advocating for his patients, community and his alma mater.

Throughout his time at Edson College, Sawicki was an active volunteer and he continues that now as an alumnus. He is a member of the college’s recently established alumni board and pre-pandemic he was a fixture at every event from Homecoming to Open Door.

In the video below, he shares more about what motivates him to volunteer and stay engaged with Edson College.