Rosa M. Roche (Garrido), PhD

I always wanted to be a nurse, and I heard very good things about the professors at FIU Nursing. The pass rates were also really good. Even though it was a very small university, it was very multicultural. That interested me. I'm there as a faculty member now. As a student, I had a great experience. Dr. Jacqueline Hartley passed away, but she really molded me into the person who I am today. She helped me choose the specialty I wanted to go into - I chose pediatrics because of her. She was a very nurturing, loving professor. My father passed away in 1985 before I graduated in 1986. She was a professor who showed that she cared. She even gave me a little memento to remember my father. She told me that I needed to graduate because that was what he would want me to do, so that was a very touching moment for me. I was getting my BSN, and it was difficult, but she helped me to focus. During my PhD Journey, the chair of my committee was Dr. Dorothy Brooton, and I called her my heaven-sent angel. She was another nurturing individual who guided me. I was able to finish my PhD in three and a half years, which normally took five years. She molded me into the person I am today with my students. I continue to mentor my students after graduation and help them get positions out in the community. I served as an adjunct professor in pediatrics since 2006. In 2016, I was offered a full-time position as the Pediatric Program leader. In 2021, I was offered the chair position, so I am the interim chair of graduate nursing. It's very rewarding to be able to share the knowledge that I attained throughout my years. I'm at a point in my career where I'm passing on my knowledge to those new nurses coming in. I always tell them that they will be good at what they do if they love what they do. A true nurse loves what she does and has a passion for it. My son went to nursing school and medical school at FIU, and he's a physician. We're an FIU Panther family.