A Student of OLOL College, a Graduate of FranU

One of the most transformational periods of Russel Landry’s life began more than 10 years ago as a student at Our Lady of the Lake College.

Landry joined the College in 2013, set on earning his Bachelor of Science in Nursing. To his surprise, however, he received more than an education. He found a community of peers who would remain in his life for many years to come.

“We grew together through the challenges of nursing school, supported one another through the stressful moments and celebrated each other's accomplishments along the way,” Landry recalled. “I went to college to become a nurse, but I left with lifelong relationships that I never expected.”

Their bond grew as they watched Our Lady of the Lake College transition to a university, becoming Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University.

Witnessing the transition was significant for Landry, but sharing the moment with those who had become a part of his journey made it even more meaningful.

Though the name changed, Landry said the education and formative experience stayed the same.

We continued to have the same relationships with our professors and classmates and the same emphasis on providing excellent, compassionate care,” he said.” Looking back, it is meaningful to know that my class was part of that transition and the beginning of what would become Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University.”

The incorporation of faith and values into his nursing education also played an important role in Landry’s formation as a professional, giving him a holistic view of patient care.

“I was taught that nursing is not just about treating a diagnosis; it is also about caring for the whole person."

When Landry walked across the stage at graduation in 2016, the moment held an added significance.

We had started our education as students of Our Lady of the Lake College, and by graduation, we were receiving our degrees under the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University name,” he said.

Landry especially remembers the people who surrounded him.

“More than anything, though, I remember the pride of finally reaching graduation after everything we had worked through together,” Landry recalled. “Being surrounded by the friends, classmates, faculty and mentors who had been part of that journey made it incredibly meaningful.”

After earning his degree, the nursing graduate carried his education with him into his field, where he spent the early part of his career working with critically ill patients in the Trauma Neuro Intensive Care Unit.

In 2020, he transitioned to the Medical ICU during the COVID-19 pandemic, an experience that challenged him in ways he never expected. Through it, he relied on the foundation he had built as a nurse, and the education that taught him how to deliver the best care even in the most complex circumstances.

Landry eventually returned to FranU to continue his education, earning his master's degree in nursing and becoming a Family Nurse Practitioner. After attaining his graduate degree, he spent a year specializing in ear, hearing and balance care before switching to family medicine in 2024.

FranU gave me the foundation to become a confident nurse, and that foundation ultimately gave me the confidence to continue my education and grow into the provider I am today,” he explained.

Ten years after graduating, Landry sees that foundation extending far beyond his career.

It was where I learned the fundamentals of nursing, but it was also where I learned the importance of compassion, faith, service and caring for patients as whole people,” he said. “Those values have stayed with me throughout my career, whether I was caring for critically ill patients in the ICU or seeing patients in family medicine today.”

When he thinks about FranU, Landry said he thinks about more than the education that prepared him. He thinks about the people who formed him and the friendships that became family.

“I am grateful that my journey began there,” he said.

If he could go back and speak to his 2016 self, Landry said he would tell himself just how much life was about to change.

He would tell himself to trust the education and foundation he received at FranU because he would rely on those tools throughout his career. He would also tell himself not to overlook the relationships he had made.

The people sitting beside me at graduation would continue to be an important part of my life years later,” Landry said. “Some of the friends I made at FranU would become family.”

Ten years after walking across the stage, Landry can see that graduation was not the culmination of his FranU story. It was the beginning.

“If I could tell my 2016 self anything, it would be: you are just getting started, and the foundation you built here will take you farther than you realize.”