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After walking across the commencement platform and accepting their degrees from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, three students from the School of Nursing will move on to fulfill their dreams, having already attained positions at the esteemed Mayo Clinic.

Effingham native Madisson Haake, Courtney Levo, of Troy, and Bradley Marcum, of Salem, will be employed at the clinic headquarters located in Rochester, Minn.

Haake will be a critical care nurse in the clinical surgical trauma intensive care unit (ICU) and progressive care unit (PCU).

“Mayo Clinic is ranked number one in many aspects of the medical industry with a fantastic research program,” Haake said. “I will be caring for critically ill patients, and working as a team with doctors, nurses, pharmacists and family members to provide the best care possible for these patients. This opportunity will allow me to grow as a nurse through the people I encounter on my professional journey.”

Haake’s professional accomplishment stems from a passion for nursing that was instilled at a young age.

“When my mother went back to school for nursing, I was able to see what she was learning and experiencing in clinicals,” Haake explained. “This truly intrigued me and confirmed to me that nursing was the right place for me.

“I chose the SIUE School of Nursing because of its location, which is located near many level 1 trauma centers and a diversity of hospitals. It also has a high pass rate for the NCLEX. My clinical instructors have been fantastic teachers who have helped develop me into the nurse I am today. I hope that one day I can precept a nursing student, so I can pass on my knowledge, just like my instructors have done for me.”

Fellow graduate Levo accepted a position as a nurse in the medical surgical transplant ICU. Mayo Clinic holds a special place in her heart.

“Mayo gave my family hope for my brother’s disabilities when all other options failed,” Levo recalled. “This opportunity is a dream come true. I am passionate about critical care nursing. It is my hope that Mayo Clinic will provide me with the resources and support to be the best possible caregiver for patients and their families, from all over the world. Stepping into someone’s life at some of the toughest times and making a difference is a true privilege.”

She credits the incredible support she has received from her parents along with the knowledge she has gained from School of Nursing faculty and administrators, who she greatly respects, for their role in her achievements.

“Nursing school has provided me with some of the most intimate and lasting friendships I will ever have,” Levo said. “It has laid the foundation for me and my classmates to reach for greatness and make an impact.”

Also securing a highly-competitive position at Mayo Clinic is Marcum, a highly-involved individual who strives to be a strong leader, mentor, and most importantly, an impactful caregiver for his patients. Marcum will be a critical care nurse in the cardiac surgery/heart and lung transplant ICU.

“Working for Mayo Clinic means everything to me,” he said. “It focuses on research, patient care and outcomes, and boasts high satisfaction rates among patients and employees. I am passionate about the field of nursing, because I love being able to help people and get them through their most critical time in life.”

Marcum himself faced once such critical time when he underwent lung surgery during his collegiate freshman year. His experience led him to switch interests from pharmacy to nursing.

“After I recovered from lung surgery, I immediately started looking for a nursing school and started to plan accordingly for my nursing career, with a future interest in nurse anesthesia,” he said. “SIUE’s School of Nursing was close to St. Louis, affordable, offered a high-tech simulation learning lab and held affiliations to numerous prestigious clinical sites. But, what stuck out to me most about SIUE was its beautiful campus atmosphere, and the friendly School of Nursing staff and administrators.”

While pursuing his bachelor’s in nursing, Marcum played a key role in the massive growth experienced by the Student Nurses Association (SNA) on campus, for which he served as president from 2015-17. SNA grew exponentially to over 500 members under Marcum’s leadership and won the Campus Organization of the Year award from the Kimmel Student Involvement Center in 2016.

“I wanted our organization to become something that every nursing student wanted to be a part of and could benefit from,” he said. “I will always hold close the friendships I have made with my fellow nursing students, as well as faculty and staff. Even though it was a tough program, the valuable and enjoyable moments far outweigh the difficulties.

“Graduating from the SIUE School of Nursing has allowed me to land this position as a critical care nurse in an elite ICU at a #1 hospital. It’s amazing and surreal. It’s a dream come true.”

Photo: Madisson Haake

Courtney Levo

Bradley Marcum.