C
arlow University presented its highest
academic honor—the Joseph G. Smith
Award—to Forest Hills’ Devan Stanko
in June. In addition to having the
highest GPA in her nursing class and
being a valedictorian for the Class of
2018, Stanko was selected as a Future
Nurse Educator, a designation that requires her to secure
faculty recommendations and complete an application
and interview process. She has been recognized by the
Pennsylvania Student Nurses Association as an excellent
student who excels in her academic and non-academic work.
Stanko, 22, grew up in Forest Hills and is the daughter
of Erik and Christy Stanko. She is a proud graduate of
Woodland Hills High School, and attended the district from
kindergarten through her graduation in 2014.
She was very involved at WHHS as a member of the gifted
program, the varsity field hockey team and the WH Interact
Club. Stanko also enjoyed going to Friday night football
games, homecoming dances and the promenades.
“I will forever be grateful for the thorough education, life
lessons, friendships and memories that I acquired during
my years as a Wolverine,” she says. “I can’t thank my teachers
enough for all that they have done, and continue to do, to
support my fellow classmates and me.”
Stanko’s love for science, the health care field and
volunteering during high school led her to Carlow University
to pursue her Bachelor of Science in Nursing, where she fell
in love with every aspect of nursing. “Not only does being a
nurse require sharp critical thinking skills, but you must also
be genuinely compassionate and patient,” she notes.
During her studies at Carlow, Stanko worked as a peer
tutor and Future Nurse Educator, allowing her to create and
conduct exam review sessions for underclassmen nursing
students. “I particularly enjoyed tutoring the courses of
pediatric nursing, pharmacology and anatomy,” she says.
In addition to tutoring, she also served as the president
of the university’s chapter of the Student Nurses’
Association of Pennsylvania. In that role, Stanko helped
organize multiple educational and volunteer opportunities
for Carlow nursing students, including administering flu
shots to UPMC employees and providing health education
at homeless shelters. She also volunteered with the study
abroad program “Carlow Cares,” allowing her to travel with
other students to Ireland and Nicaragua to volunteer in
health care settings outside of the United States.
Stanko has received a wide variety of accolades during
her time at Carlow University including the Georgia M.
Decker Future Nurse Educator Award (2017, 2018), the
Department of Nursing Highest Academic Achievement
Award (2018) and the Joseph G. Smith Award for Academic
Achievement and Distinguished Service (2018).
The Joseph G. Smith Award is Carlow University’s
highest academic honor. Each year, every college within
the university nominates one student, and the finalists are
presented to the administrative board faculty. One student is
In May of this
year, Devan
Stanko gave the
student address
at Carlow
University’s
commencement
ceremony.
“I will forever be grateful for
the thorough education,
life lessons, friendships and
memories that I acquired during
my years as a Wolverine.”
then selected for the recognition and asked to present the
student address at the annual commencement ceremony.
“Speaking at Carlow University’s 2018 commencement
ceremony, on behalf of my incredibly intelligent and
passionate classmates, was a privilege like no other,”
Stanko says. “This award recognizes not only academic
achievements, but, more importantly, a student’s
distinguished service to his or her community—something
that each and every one of us can incorporate into our lives.”
She used her address as a means to promote the practice
of mercy, service and hospitality through small acts of
kindness.
“Being chosen as the 2018 recipient of the Joseph G.
Smith Award has been the greatest honor of my academic
and professional career,” adds Stanko. “Certainly, I have
the Woodland Hills School District to thank for receiving
this award. This district has shaped me into the student I
am today by instilling upon us the values of compassion,
acceptance of people from all origins and backgrounds, and
determination. Woodland Hills Wolverines are capable of
so much, and it’s exciting to see how my fellow students are
leaving their mark in the world.”
After graduating Summa Cum Laude from Carlow
University in June, Stan ko fulfilled her dream of becoming
a pediatric nurse by accepting a position as a registered
nurse in the Emergency Department of UPMC Children’s
Hospital of Pittsburgh. In the future, she plans to obtain
her Doctor of Nursing Practice to become a pediatric
nurse practitioner and professional nurse educator. ■
WOODLAND HILLS ❘
FALL 2018
11