For nursing senior Noah Gomes, The Catholic University of America has always been a part of his life. Both of his aunts are Conway School of Nursing alumnae, and they always spoke highly of their experience. It should be no surprise to anyone that he has followed in their footsteps.
“I’ve known that the nursing school here is one of the best,” Noah claims with a smile, just as he’s about to graduate as part of the Class of 2025.
Growing up in neighboring Beltsville, Maryland, Noah was familiar with Catholic University’s Brookland campus. Every Christmas and Easter for nearly 20 years, the Gomes family would travel to attend mass at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, whose Basilica is right next door to the sprawling green grounds of the University. “It’s always been part of my life,” Noah says, reflecting on being so close to his future college.
Over the past four years, he has navigated the nuances of working within different healthcare situations, in the classroom but also within a “plethora” of hospital systems.
“We have an extensive clinical program, an extensive skills-based program,” he said. “So we’re not only stuck in our books, but we’re also using our fundamental skills with hands-on experience.”
Unlike many other healthcare programs, Noah had the flexibility to study abroad and spent the spring semester of his sophomore year in Rome. While he was in Europe, he visited 14 countries. Reflecting on this tremendous opportunity to see the world, Noah said the experience “was something most 19-20 year olds wouldn’t have done in their lifetime.”
Now that he’s a senior, Noah is ready to hit the ground running. He has been commissioned with the U.S. Public Health Service, an organization he has worked closely with in Maryland. Following graduation, he will be transferred to another state to work with the U.S. Bureau of Prisons to serve incarcerated people with the compassionate care skills he developed at Catholic University. “I’m going to be able to go to this prison and not only practice nursing, but also faith-based practice,” Noah reflects. “So I will be going in as a servant of God and treating these inmates who are doing their time."
