Alumni : L : Maureen Lake

Maureen graduated in the Class of 2002. She completed her Extended Practice Preceptorship at St. Michael’s hospital in Toronto and her Community Health Practicum at nursing stations in Nain and Davis Inlet. Outside school, she was a boatswain in the Canadian Naval Reserves at HMCS Cabot where she received an award for her contribution to overall morale, served on the Honour Guard for the repatriation ceremony of the Unknown Soldier in Ottawa in 2000, and worked to comfort passengers of planes diverted to St. John’s on September 11, 2001.

After convocation, Maureen accepted an offer from St. Mike’s and moved to Toronto to work full-time in the busy Regional Trauma Centre. It was a challenging and stressful environment, but she quickly made an impact with her dedication, compassion, energy and humour. She volunteered as a preceptorship mentor for nursing students and balanced job stress with daily bicycle commutes, by learning to rock climb, building new friendships and always making time to keep in touch with old friends and family back home and elsewhere. Her professional interests for the future included emergency, community health and childhood counselling; she was also considering further education as a Nurse Practitioner or Social Worker.

In February 2004, Maureen’s sense of adventure took her to Northern Ireland where she planned to work at the Antrim Area Hospital. Sadly, only a week later, it was that hospital where she was taken after a tragic car accident in nearby Ballyclare. She died on February 17, 2004 -- 23 years old. Maureen was no stranger to life's obstacles, but always looked at them in the most positive light she could find -- and gladly helped others do the same. In the profile she posted here after graduating, Maureen wished everyone good luck and encouraged them to "stay strong."