Julia Hasbrouck ’15 is the youngest of four Hasbroucks, all Kellenberg Memorial alumni. Julia currently serves as a registered nurse in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Cohen Children’s Medical Center. Prior to that, she cared for adult COVID patients at Long Island Jewish. While taking nursing classes at Adelphi University, Julia was lucky to have been asked to help as a moderator for Freshman/Sophomore C.R.O.S.S., which allowed her to stay close with many of her former teachers. Julia says, “Without these relationships and the things I learned from Kellenberg, starting a career as an RN during a pandemic wouldn’t have been possible.”
What inspired you to pursue a career in nursing?
During my sophomore year at Kellenberg, my dad was hospitalized due to a serious heart attack. I began to admire the dedicated work of the nurses. They went above and beyond with not only providing my dad with the best of care but supporting my entire family during an emotional time. Following his recovery, we all took a CPR class where the nurse running the program, an old family friend, suggested I look into a career in nursing; and the rest is history!
How do you think your time at Kellenberg Memorial helped to prepare you for your success in your academic and professional pursuits?
Kellenberg taught me compassion, which was something I relied on during the pandemic. Through my four years, I strengthened my relationship with God and built a faith life I would take with me outside the Kellenberg bubble. My belief in a higher being and an afterlife in Heaven has helped comfort me and get me through some of the toughest shifts.
Do you have any advice for current students or young alumni who are interested in pursuing a career in nursing?
It’s hard work but rewarding work. You need to truly have a heart for nursing. If it’s a career you’re passionate about and not just one you admire for its pay or flexible schedule then you will succeed. Always remember that being a nurse is a privilege. It’s a privilege to get to help people through the hardest times in their lives, especially in the Pediatric ICU where I am now. Even if you can’t always “fix” things, there are always other ways you can help. That is what I love about the job.
Do you have any favorite teachers, coaches, or club moderators from your time at Kellenberg Memorial?
So many incredible people at Kellenberg helped to shape the woman I am today. I couldn’t possibly name them all. Mr. O’Brien, Mr. Finn, and Mr. Basile are just a few teachers I owe a lot of gratitude for getting me through that sophomore year with my dad being sick. They are also the ones who got me involved in working at the Catholic Experience camps, which I still take time out of my nursing schedule to do each summer. Mr. Moran and Mr. Cioffi were two of my favorite club moderators. Mr. Moran got me into Hiking Club, an activity I still love doing today. I spent almost every Monday afternoon on a bus with Mr. Cioffi heading to St. Raphael’s to teach P.R.E.P., a Hasbrouck tradition that started with my oldest brother 9 years before me. I consider myself lucky to have stayed close with all of these mentors and their families through the years. With them, Kellenberg was somewhere I knew people cared about me and I could feel safe; which is the same feeling I hope to give patients and their families at work.
