School of
Nursing
Scholars
& Fellows

Tiffany is in her first semester of the MN pre-licensure program in the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing. She gained her B.S. from the University of Michigan in Biology, Health, and Society. She has had professional experiences in research, healthcare, and community engagement with her interests focusing on sustainability, food insecurity, and education. Her personal interests include hiking, climbing, playing the piano and making ceramics.

Paul Cruz is from Houston, TX where he was born and raised and uses He/Him/His pronouns. He is a Woodruff Scholar for the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing. He is currently on the board for the Latinx Student Organization, an Office Assistant at the Office of LGBT Life, and a facilitator for the Queer Latinx Discussion group on campus. Paul’s ultimate goal is to become a Doctorate Nurse Practitioner, with a focus in Trauma or Neurology. Through his career, Paul hopes to help fight against the systemic racism that is facing marginalized communities through his Nursing career. After graduating, he plans to emerge himself in communities where healthcare isn’t accessible or effectively given, to address and help combat the high death rates of the marginalized. On his free time, he enjoys exploring different restaurants and tourist attractions in Atlanta in addition to hanging out with friends and listening to music!

Abby is an MN pre-licensure student at the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing. She graduated with a B.S in Business Administration and a minor in Health and Medical Sciences from Georgia Tech. She is mainly interested in Labor and Delivery, Pediatrics, and Women’s Health, but is also open to other specialties. Her personal interests include traveling, playing strategic board games, cooking, taking photos, and reading psychological thrillers.

Margo Walton is a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) student in the Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Program in the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing. She has been practicing as a Registered Nurse for three years, and currently works at Emory University Hospital on a Cardiac Surgical and Heart Failure Floor. She is a Progressive Care Certified Nurse (PCCN) and a Certified Heart Failure Nurse (CHFN). Her work involves the care of adults with advanced heart failure, requiring either mechanical device therapies, like the use of a left ventricular assist device (LVAD), or open-heart transplant. Additionally, Margo cares for patients post-operatively following various other open-heart surgeries, such as valve and aortic aneurysm repairs. Margo is interested in a career as a primary care nurse practitioner so she can follow patients over time, establish long-lasting relationships, and to educate her patients using evidence-based guidelines to prevent hospital readmissions, ultimately keeping patients accountable for their health. Margo graduated from Miami University of Ohio with a Bachelor of Art in Biology and minor in Neuroscience in 2017. She then attended Villanova University and completed her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) in 2019. She worked at the University of Virginia Medical Center for two years on a cardiology floor before moving to Atlanta, Georgia in October 2021. In her free time, Margo enjoys running half marathons, hiking, spending time with friends and family, traveling, and reading.

ktayl48@emory.edu

Being a Fuld Fellow has given me the opportunity to learn from palliative practitioners and has reaffirmed my commitment to being a palliative provider when I complete my nursing program at Emory. What is so special about being a part of the Fuld Palliative Care program is that I have had the chance to gain additional clinical experiences in palliative care. My most formative clinical time has been spent with palliative providers and their patients. Fuld has also been wonderful in connecting me with a group of scholars in palliative care through the monthly seminars where we discuss current issues and research in palliative care. I am so grateful to be a part of the Fuld program and I believe it is giving me a strong foundation to become a palliative care practitioner.

ashley.rose@emory.edu

The Fuld Palliative Care Fellowship is preparing me to provide compassionate and individualized care to my future patients and their families. I will be able to incorporate the tenets of improving quality of life, preventing suffering, and respecting patient autonomy into my nursing practice. In a field like palliative care, this couldn't be more important. I'm grateful for how much I've grown as a nursing student thanks to the investment the fellowship has made in my professional development.

kristie.erin.barnes@emory.edu

Being a Fuld Palliative Care Fellow has been the most rewarding piece of my MN+MSN experience. I am honored to get such incredible clinical experience and to help improve quality of life for patients with life-limiting illnesses. Palliative Care is what drew me to nursing in the first place, and it means the world to me that through this fellowship I've had the opportunity to develop skills in not only specialty palliative care but also in its successful integration into routine primary care appointments. Fuld has inspired me to help further the reach of palliative care, no matter where my career ends up taking me.

Ayriana Stoneback, a first year AMSN student from Reeltown, Alabama. She embarked on her academic journey while being a student athlete at Northeast Mississippi Community College, earning her Associates in arts before attaining her Bachelor of Science in Health Science from Tuskegee University and continuing her collegiate softball career. Her academic performance earned her the distinction of graduating Cum Laude. Throughout her academic tenure, Ayriana distinguished herself as a member of esteemed honor societies, including Epsilon Tau Sigma Allied Health Honor Society, Phi Theta Kappa, Alpha Kappa Mu Honor Society, and The National Society of Leadership and Success. In addition to her academic achievements, Ariana has honed her skills as an intensive care unit technician, demonstrating exceptional competence, compassion, and dedication in providing critical care to patients in need. Her experience in the healthcare field has equipped her with invaluable insights and a deep appreciation for the importance of patient-centered care. Ayriana's dedication to serving vulnerable populations was further exemplified during her clinical rotation at the VA in the Dementia Behavioral Unit. There, she demonstrated her empathy, patience, and clinical acumen in caring for patients with complex needs. Beyond her academic and professional pursuits, Avriana excelled as a student-athlete, demonstrating exceptional skill, dedication, and sportsmanship in her chosen field. Her ability to balance rigorous academic demands, the demands of competitive athletics, and her role as a healthcare professional speaks volumes about her determination and discipline. As Ayriana embarks on the next chapter of her journey, she carries with her a legacy of achievement, integrity, and leadership. Driven by her passion for caring for people, Ayriana is poised to make a meaningful impact in her future in Palliative Care.

Lauren Widman is a first-year MN pathway student from Johns Creek, GA. She received her undergraduate degree in Biology and minor in Spanish from the University of Georgia. While in college, Lauren volunteered in clinical settings and found her passion for medicine when caring for the adult population. Upon graduating, she worked as a medical assistant in orthopedics and no􀆟ced the opportunity for improved preventive and holistic care for adult patients. In this gap, she recognized the connection between patients’ mental health and physical presentations. To learn more about this relationship, Lauren began working at Emory’s Brain Health Center for a neuropsychology clinical research study studying Alzheimer’s disease. Meanwhile, in her personal life, Lauren found herself sitting beside her grandmother as she received an Alzheimer’s diagnosis. Her grandmother was confused, and, unfortunately, her provider met her with limited supportive care or education. Lauren continued to see gaps in her grandmother’s care and was able to step in and support her mother, her grandmother’s primary caregiver. She helped her grandmother transition from independent living to assisted living, to memory care, and then to hospice care. These transitions weren’t easy for her family and further highlighted to Lauren how the mental health of the patient and the patient’s family can be highly interrelated with physical disease processes. Today, Lauren aspires to support patients and their families through difficult diagnoses and transitions, just like she was able to with her grandmother. Lauren intends to work as a Nurse Practitioner providing palliative, all-encompassing care for chronically ill adults and their families. She plans to be a provider who recognizes the psychosocial aspects of patients’ situations and integrates these into a tailored, supportive care plan. Ultimately, Lauren aspires to further impact this population by educating providers on how to navigate these life-threatening diagnosis conversations and care transitions.

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