For much of his life Leonardo Valle had always wanted to study medicine and become a physician. But after observing the compassionate and meticulous care nurses administered to his mother before she passed away two years ago, Valle realized he could have much more of an impact on the lives of patients as a nurse. So after a brief stint at Miami-Dade College, and with the full support of family and friends, he enrolled in the University of Miami’s School of Nursing and Health Studies in the fall of 2014.
On Friday, May 6, the Cuban-born Valle will graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, moving a step closer to accomplishing his goal of becoming an ICU nurse.
Such lofty goals are not new to the 24-year-old Valle, who lived in Italy as a child. At the U, he served as the president of the UM chapter of the American Assembly for Men in Nursing, and in two years he plans to return to the School of Nursing and Health Studies to pursue a Doctor of Nursing Practice, with an eventual career path toward pediatric nursing.
Valle’s instructors at UM are sure of one thing: With a sincere desire to provide high-quality health care, coupled with his excellent experience and rich cultural background, he will be an outstanding nurse.
