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“Nurses are the most trusted professionals in the world. We hold lives in our hands—and that’s not something I take lightly,” said Strawn, a full time Level Two Nursing Instructor and faculty advisor for the Student Nursing Association at Galveston College.
She is a resident of Texas City and was honored with the Good Samaritan Foundation Excellence in Nursing Bronze Award in 2022 – an award that recognizes exceptional dedication and compassion in nursing care.
Strawn has taught more than 80 nursing students since February 2023 at Galveston College. She teaches lecture and clinical courses in mental health, pediatrics, and complex concepts of critical care. She helps her students navigate the complexity of patient care in hospital environments. Strawn has been nominated twice for the Galveston College Faculty and Staff Recognition Award. This award is a peer- and student- nominated honor that acknowledges outstanding contributions to campus life.
Strawn said that she values the personal connection between faculty and students at Galveston College.
“We know each of our students by name,” Strawn said, referring to all Galveston College Nursing Program faculty and staff members. “We spend over 24 hours a week face-toface with them in lectures and clinical settings. That kind of time together builds trust. It allows us to coach them not just in skills, but also with regard to their mindset, professionalism, and confidence.”
Strawn has always had an affinity for teaching and mentoring. Before she pursued a career in nursing, Strawn taught high school biology classes at Ball High School for five years. She felt a calling to do more. While completing her nursing prerequisites, Strawn served as a longterm substitute teaching calculus and trigonometry classes.
“I loved teaching high school students, but I realized I wanted to help others in a different way and was called to nursing,” she said explaining her transition.
In 2016, she enrolled in the Galveston College Nursing Program. She graduated in 2018 with an Associate Degree in Nursing and was honored with the Student Leadership Faculty Award, which recognized her initiative, professionalism, and mentorship within the program. She was also awarded the Daughters of the American Revolution scholarship that helped to fund her studies.
After graduation, she joined the UTHealth Harris County Psychiatric Center as a nurse clinician, where she served until 2020. In this role, Strawn provided care for detained youth in the Harris County Juvenile Justice System who faced complex mental health, medical and psychiatric challenges.
In 2020, she joined the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) Clear Lake Campus, where she served as a Nurse Clinician III. Strawn worked as both a relief charge nurse and staff nurse for the Pediatric Medical-Surgical and Intermediate Care Unit (IMU).
While working full-time as a nurse and taking online classes, Strawn completed a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree (Summa Cum Laude) and a Master of Science in Nursing degree from the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. In 2010, she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in marine biology from Texas A&M University at Galveston.
At each facility she worked at, Strawn was always known as the “go-to” nurse for onboarding new hires and helping them adjust to the fast-paced, high-acuity environment of pediatric care. She found herself naturally drawn to mentoring.
“I realized that I enjoyed working with and advising nursing students in hospital settings. I missed connecting with students, so I knew that returning to the classroom as an instructor was the right thing for me to do,” Strawn said.
And that is when Strawn joined Galveston College as a nursing faculty member in February 2023. She said that teaching at Galveston College holds special meaning for her – not just because she’s an alum, but also because the classroom is a place of continuity and community.
“Some of my nursing students now at Galveston College are the same ones I taught as high school freshmen at Ball High.”
“My students and patients teach me resilience and about the positive difference that modeling compassion and consistency makes,” Strawn said. “It’s not just about medicine. A good nurse is communicative, empathic, and an advocate. And I always emphasize the importance of therapeutic communication to all my students.”
Therapeutic communication means listening with intention, building trust, and using language that fosters healing. It helps patients feel seen and safe which often improves outcomes and saves lives.
For Strawn, this commitment to connection and care is what defines both a great nurse and a great educator.
