Nursing grad finds generational link at Holy Cross

by Macie Capote

By Macie Capote
Clarion Herald

Generational connections are often closer than we realize; we just need to pay attention, said Dr. Patricia Prechter, dean of the College of Nursing and Health Sciences at the University of Holy Cross (UHC). One student did just that, uncovering a connection between her grandmother’s legacy and her own academic journey, leaving her feeling “destined” to become a nurse.

Upon preparing for her graduation and pinning ceremony, Molly Katz, a recent graduate of Holy Cross’ Department of Nursing, gathered memorabilia to honor her grandmother the night before her pinning ceremony, the late Rosemary Fortmayer, whom she called “Mema.”

“I knew it would be something special for all of my family to see. She was my dad’s mom, and she was my best friend in the whole world growing up,” she said. “She was my biggest cheerleader, and I would do anything for her to be alive today, rooting me on as a nurse.”

Fortmayer, who was a nurse at Charity Hospital, is an inspiration to Katz. Katz said her grandmother returned to nursing school in her late 30s to support her four sons as a single mother.

“Nursing school is one of the hardest types of schooling programs to get through, and I definitely felt like I was challenged mentally like never before,” Katz said. “Passing nursing school with zero kids was already hard enough; I can’t imagine how much she sacrificed to work hard to support her four kids.”

Photos from her uncle

Katz received a collection of family photos from her uncle, and among the photos were images from her grandmother’s 1980 pinning ceremony when she graduated from the Charity School of Nursing.

Excited to share these memories, Katz brought the photos back to her parents’ house. While looking through them, her mother noticed something remarkable: the nurse pinning Fortmayer in the 1980 ceremony bore a striking resemblance to Katz’s current professor, Dr. Prechter.

“I immediately laughed and said there was no way,” she said.

But after staring at the picture all night, Katz said she couldn’t wait to get to school to confirm her mother’s suspicion and rushed into Prechter’s office the next morning.

“I immediately asked her, ‘I have a question for you. I have this picture of my grandma getting pinned at her pinning ceremony who graduated nursing school in 1980. She was my person, and I will be so excited if this is actually you in the picture,’” Katz said. “I flipped over the picture, and she immediately teared up.”

Previously a faculty member of the Charity School of Nursing, Prechter not only pinned Fortmayer, but she taught her and was in charge of her clinical group as well.

“Molly was very close to her grandmother, so knowing that I was connected to her years ago made an impact on her family – I was blessed to be part of that connection,” Prechter said. “God created us to have a connection with him and with others. So many around us are in need of a connection to a relationship. We are all connected, but sometimes we miss the connection or we don’t take the time to realize that connection.”

God in every moment

Prechter said this moment is a tell-tale of how little we truly know about the people we encounter every day.

“I find that events do not occur coincidentally in my life,” she said. “I think this ‘connectedness’ is an example of that. We need to be reminded that all relationships are important, and we have no inkling of how connected we all are or how the connections will impact us and others.”

For Katz, the discovery was nothing short of a “God moment.”

“I was truly destined to be a nurse, just like her,” she said. “My Mema knew I was going to be a nurse this whole time.”

Katz’s journey to nursing was far from linear. Initially pursuing a degree in Animal Science at LSU with aspirations of becoming a veterinarian, she ultimately decided to follow her passions into nursing – a field that allowed her to work closely with people.

“I was on the LSU poultry judging team, I went to Africa to gain experience with exotic animals, but the choice of doing vet school didn’t seem right for me anymore,” Katz said. “I felt like I was doing it because everyone else wanted me to.”

Katz’s decision to switch paths was validated by the connection she discovered. During her own pinning ceremony, she proudly shared the story in a speech, bringing many to tears.

“I actually waited to surprise my uncles with the amazing story for them to hear for the first time at the ceremony,” Katz said. “They only knew I got the pictures for the party, but they had no idea I was going to get up and have my Mema on the big screen on stage. They were so touched and it was just an amazing day.

Prechter said Holy Cross often has had generations come through its nursing program.

“This year we have a daughter from a previous year starting the program, we have a senior this year whose mother graduated from the program, and we have a daughter of a faculty (member) starting the program,” she said. “It is great to know the connections that bring them to the program and to the university.

“I think the mission of UHC helps keep those connections. UHC is committed to striving for excellence in all our programs,” she said. “Jesus was clear in his ministry that we all need to be engaged with the pain and suffering of others, and since nursing is always on the ‘front line,’ we can really make a difference in health care.”

[email protected]