This past June, Nancy Rudyk (MN 2005) decided to attend the 2025 Alumni Reunion Breakfast with the Dean, an annual Bloomberg Nursing event hosted at U of T’s Faculty Club. After hearing from Dean Robyn Stremler about the Faculty’s efforts to raise money for the education of future nurses, Rudyk decided now was the perfect time to give back.
“I’m equally passionate about two things, being a nurse and teaching future nurses,” says Rudyk, who is currently the professional practice skills coordinator in the Nurse Practitioner program at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU). “I decided that giving back to Bloomberg Nursing to support students not only made sense, but it was a way in which I could also honour my mom.”
Rudyk’s mother passed away at the age of 93. She had also been a nurse, and though she hadn’t practiced for decades, she always identified strongly with her nursing background. She was often eager to hear from Rudyk about the latest updates in the profession, and she continued to stay in touch with her nursing classmates for many, many years.
“My mom loved helping and caring for others,” says Rudyk. “Both she and my grandmother, who was also a nurse, were pivotal in my decision to become a nurse too.”
Rudyk sees giving towards the financial support of nursing students as something her mom would have approved of, as she had recognized the needs of nurses who were under financial constraints.
“My mom would have wanted to make it easier for them, and so by donating to Bloomberg Nursing, I’m supporting her legacy of helping others,” says Rudyk.
In cleaning out her mother’s things, Rudyk recently found some old photos and letters from WWI soldiers to her grandmother Bertha Goodwin, who was a nursing assistant during the war. The letters and pictures demonstrated for Rudyk that the legacy of nursing in her own family was far reaching, as was its impact, because it showed her that when nurses are trusted, helpful, and willing to give of themselves, it changes patients lives.
“One of the soldiers had written about how selfless my grandmother was, how she remained caring even when she was run off her feet, and I think that speaks to the incredible dedication and perseverance of nurses,” says Rudyk. “I’m proud of that legacy, and I look forward to being able to continue to support new generations of nurses any way that I can.”
Learn more about how you can support future nurses. Visit our website or contact Nicole Landa, Senior Development Officer