Class Notes
1980s
Sharon Soutter (BS ’87) has spent the past 30 years at Primary Children’s Hospital, with the last 13 years in her current role as an outpatient clinics education consultant and infection control coordinator. She also spent 5 years as an infection preventionist and another 14 as an RN coordinator in the neurotrauma unit.
1990s
Michaeline Shiverdecker (BS ’91) reached 32 years as a NICU RN at St. George Regional Hospital in St. George, Utah.
Julie Law Curtis (BS ’92) is a registered nurse with 24 years of experience. Her current position is quality assurance specialist for Caring Bees Healthcare in Boston, Massachusetts.
Suzanne Harwood Silva (BS ’96) is completing her 10th year at Axis Community Health in Livermore, California, and her 24th year as a family nurse practitioner; she received a master’s degree from the University of Utah in 2000.
2000s
Lance Buxton (MS ’01) reached his eighth year as a family nurse practitioner at Terry Reilly Health Services in Caldwell, Idaho.
Kealoha Snow (BS ’05, MS ’23) sat on the Utah legislative house floor as the guest of Representative Jon Hawkins (District 55). She promoted nurse practitioner clinical practice and lobbied lawmakers for Senate Bill 36.
Kami Tyler (BS ’07) recently started a doctor of nursing practice (DNP) degree at the University of Utah. She has also been a nursing instructor at Snow College for the past five years.
Paige Kimball (BS ’08) has completed 13 years as a nurse practitioner, most recently with University of Utah Health.
Jerome Ferrin (BS ’09) was promoted to clinical nurse officer in charge of the same-day surgery and post-anesthesia care unit in the US Army. He is stationed at Martin Army Community Hospital in Fort Moore, Georgia.
2010s
Tabitha Aggen (BS ’12) is completing her first year as a clinical instructor for the Johnson County Community College in Overland Park, Kansas.
Caitlin Mallory (BS ’12, MS ’18) is a neurosurgery nurse practitioner for Hawaii Pacific Health in Honolulu.
Jordyn Whiting (BS ’12) has been working with a team at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center to research the long-term outcomes and experiences of adults with brachial plexus birth injuries. The team published its first paper last year.
Brittany McCready (BS ’13) works as a nurse practitioner for Valley Women’s Health in Provo. She received her DNP from the University of Utah in 2020. One of her co-workers is Amanda Cannon (MS ’17).
Jessica L. Clark (BS ’14), Laura Magleby Butler (BS ’17), Jessica V. Hunter (BS ’18), Hyrum B. Prestwich (BS ’19), and Emily D. Santillan (BS ’19) graduated from BYU College of Nursing’s FNP program in April 2024.
Katie Stevenson (BS ’14) received a master’s degree from Georgetown University in 2018. She has worked for Corner Canyon Pain and Medicine for the past four years, including two years as an adjunct professor for Salt Lake Community College.
Maren Zaro (MS ’16) has been a population health nurse educator for Optum in Seattle for the past four years.
Chelsi Taylor (BS ’17) completed her DNP degree from the University of Arizona in August 2023; her peer Kelly Anderson (BS ’17) completed a DNP from Baylor University in December 2023.
What have you been up to? New promotion? Advanced degree? Recently published? Share your news at nursingpr@byu.edu. We would love to share your update in the next issue of Healer’s Art.
Honored Alumni: Shannon Francis-Clegg
Shannon Francis-Clegg (AS ’83, BS ’87) received the BYU Homecoming 2023 Alumni Achievement Award from BYU College of Nursing last year for her contributions to the nursing field, the community, and the college. She presented a lecture in October 2023 entitled “Standing on the Shoulders of Giants.”
Ms. Francis-Clegg’s career focuses on utilizing her nursing and MBA degrees to improve patient care and healthcare delivery. Currently, she is helping the Utah Department of Corrections open a nursery in the prison so eligible incarcerated women can keep their babies with them. She also serves on the board of Edna Adan Maternity Hospital in Somaliland.
Read more about Shannon on BYU’s Alumni Achievement website.
Alumni Events
Annual Graduate Program Alumni Dinner
This event serves as a platform to strengthen connections among former classmates and faculty, foster a sense of community, and acknowledge outstanding achievements within the program. In November 2023, Aubree Argyle was named preceptor of the year for the second consecutive year. Ms. Argyle is a dedicated nurse practitioner specializing in women’s health at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Salt Lake City. She was commended for her exceptional patience, expertise, wisdom, and unwavering dedication to the nursing profession. Laura Butler (MS ’24) was named 2023 student of the year by graduate program faculty for her outstanding contributions, commitment to her studies, hard work, diligence, and caring nature.
Speed Nurseworking Event
In January 2024, BYU College of Nursing provided a unique opportunity for students to engage with accomplished alumni during a “nurseworking” networking event. Students would choose a table and spend 15 minutes engaging in meaningful discussions with alumni before moving to another table and starting again. There was an outstanding turnout of over 60 students and 21 alumni. The College of Nursing would like to thank our incredible alumni board for making this event possible and all the participating students and alumni for attending.
Global Health Nursing Kits
BYU College of Nursing students, faculty, and alumni gathered to assemble 580 humanitarian kits in March 2024. In the end, 130 newborn kits and 450 oral hygiene kits were assembled, in addition to 400 toothbrushes to be distributed during the college’s Global and Population Health Nursing Clinical Practicums that took place in the spring. We are grateful to the Carol Sorenson Smith Charitable Fund, Dr. Chris Hammond, Dr. Ben Magleby, Dan and Tiffany Poulsen Schwebach (BS ’99), and several local church congregations for generously donating items for the kits.
Women’s Conference Lunch
During the week of BYU Women’s Conference 2024, BYU College of Nursing alumni were invited to gather on the northwest patio of the Spencer W. Kimball Tower to connect with one another and tour the college’s Nursing Learning Center. Approximately 70 alumni attended this lunch event.