Beyond the Bedside: A Look at Spartans in Nursing | Page 29

The Dream of Becoming
a Spartan Nurse
While serving as a U.S. Marine, Leonard Bernard
Graham III decided on his life path to become a
Spartan Nurse and set a course to achieve it.
When his life ended tragically at age 24, his
parents wanted to keep his memory alive in a
way that would be meaningful to him. “Once he
passed,” his father Leonard recalls, “we figured
that a scholarship would be the best way to
preserve and honor his memory by helping
others achieve their goal to become a nurse.
MSU was the natural choice.”

A Natural for Nursing
Family and friends remember Leonard as a kind
and good-hearted person who always cared
about the needs of others before his own. He
grew up helping his grandmother who was sick
with multiple sclerosis, and he often acted as
the “glue” among his many family members.
At a young age he developed a strong affinity
for the Spartans, even though he was raised in
a house of Wolverine fans.
He joined the Marines in 2008, because he
wanted to make a difference in the world.
Sharing the brutal challenges of boot camp
with his parents, he described how the
hard but valuable lessons of leadership and
accountability helped him grow. He served
with distinction in Afghanistan, attached to a
communications unit whose call letters ironically
spelled out “Spartan.” His fellow soldiers could

always count on him to keep up morale and
excel in leadership, while approaching situations
with a calm and focused demeanor.
Upon his discharge, Leonard started his nursing
education on the GI Bill at Oakland Community
College while also working at UPS. It was his
plan to transfer to the MSU College of Nursing.
Michigan State was his only selection as he
aspired to become a Spartan Nurse.

Helping Others to
Fulfill their Dreams
The family wants the scholarship to fulfill
two purposes. “Supporting a student who
will become a nurse,” they say, “will continue
Leonard’s legacy of helping people. It will also
help them over the financial hump and allow
them to graduate with less debt stress.” The
scholarship award gives priority to an active
Marine, reservist, or honorably discharged
veteran of any branch of the armed services.

the scholarship, so we’ve gotten creative in our
fundraising efforts.”
In November, the month the nation honors
veterans and those who serve our country, the
family partnered with Bagger Dave’s restaurant
in Novi, Michigan, to raise funds. Family,
friends and supporters came together for a fun
evening that resonated with Leonard’s spirit. It
was a big success.
Leonard’s father lives by the motto, “Let’s get
it done. It ain’t gonna do it itself.” Both he and
Tracy are deeply grateful to MSU, saying, “they
supported us in this effort every step of the
way. We needed that support to be successful,
to lead us in the right direction. We were very
happy to have them help us get done what we
needed and wanted to do.”
They plan to continue fundraising efforts which
will both celebrate a special life and provide
the means to fulfill the dreams of other aspiring
Spartan Nurses.

The scholarship recipient for 2015 was Kyle
Wilson, CON BSN ’16, who plans on becoming a
flight nurse in the U.S. Air Force after graduation.

Building toward an
Endowment: “Let’s get it done.
It ain’t gonna do it itself.”

To give to this scholarship
or to review other giving
opportunities, visit:
go.msu.edu/nursingcampaign

The scholarship was started as an expendable
gift, with the eventual goal of creating an
endowment. Leonard’s mother Tracy explains,
“As a middle class family, we don’t have the
ability to make a personal cash gift to endow

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