Today's #LCState Division Outstanding Graduate is Josh Conley of the Nursing & Health Sciences Division. 👋 Josh Conley was known to always be of service during his time at LC State. 🤝 Conley is originally from Fallbrook, California, and graduated with a bachelor’s in nursing last Friday. He said attending LC State was a happy accident. Conley originally moved to the valley in 2021 to help care for his father who was suffering from the late stages of Alzheimer’s disease. He said he always wanted to pursue nursing and found LC State when exploring his options in the area. Prior to this, Conley had served in the U.S. Air Force. He was known to bring the core values of “Integrity first, service before self, and excellence in all that we do” to his everyday life at LC State. “His academic brilliance is matched by his natural inclination to help others,” said LC State associate professor Heidi Greene. Putting this into practice as a nursing student Conley worked as a certified nursing assistant at the Cancer Center. He said studying and hanging out with his classmates is one of his favorite memories from LC State. Outside of the classroom he takes his service globally. He spent a summer teaching underprivileged children English in Paarl South Africa and volunteered with several homeless organizations in San Diego. Additionally, in 2009, he was selected for a six-month trauma counseling internship that allowed him to work with boys and young men who had either escaped or rescued from captivity as child soldiers by anti-government rebels in Uganda. “Josh Conley is the embodiment of the values we strive to instill in our students,” said Greene. “He has demonstrated unwavering excellence, compassion, and a commitment to service in every aspect of his life. I have no doubt that he will continue to make a profound impact in the nursing field.” Conley plans to continue working at the St. Joseph Regional Medical Center Cancer Center while studying to take the NCLEX. After passing the licensing exam he plans to work in either emergency medicine or critical care medicine at a large hospital in California or in the southeast United States. Please join us in congratulating Josh Conley on the completion of his LC State journey! 👏 LC State can’t wait to watch him thrive as one of its newest alumni members. 🌟💙 (fb)

“The completion of a GED or high school diploma is a major accomplishment that opens the door to so much more,” President Pemberton said. “We applaud these students, encourage them to dream big, and stand ready to help them continue to thrive at LC State if that’s the path they choose.” (fb)