A Degree That Travels: Q&A with ɫֱ Nursing Alumnus Lester Manalo
ɫֱ alumnus Lester Manalo shares the many shapes his career has taken after becoming a nurse.
With a ɫֱ Nursing degree, Lester Manalo BSN’09 embarked on a unique career trajectory, moving from work with babies recovering from cardiac surgery, to a nurse practitioner degree, to a community health organization, to a role in a US embassy, to his current leadership role in university health. He shares insights from his journey, highlighting the versatility of nursing.
What inspired you to pursue a degree in nursing, and what led you to the ɫֱ in particular?
I was looking to pivot from a career in secondary school education, where I spent time as an English teacher, and I knew that I had a passion for creating positive personal interactions with people. I had also been involved in youth mentoring, so there’s this overall theme of being there for someone on their journey. It’s evident today more than ever how important those connections are, especially at a patient’s bedside. At the time, men pursuing nursing degrees were more of a minority than they are now. But, coming from an English major and a career in teaching, both of which are female dominated, the jump to nursing in that sense did not seem foreign to me.
Probably most influential, though, was my mom’s long struggle with rheumatoid arthritis. Seeing how disease burden affected her life, how difficult the process of navigating the healthcare system could be, and how influential her care team was—that pushed me to pursue something where I could better support my mom and others who were going through similar situations.
ɫֱ stood out in several ways. As an institution, it was dedicated to producing a diverse student body and workforce. Throughout the application and interview process, it was clear that my background was seen as value added, and not just token representation. I was interviewed by Dr. Helen Gordon, and she made me feel respected during the application process and as a student. A lot of what I’ve accomplished I attribute to her faith in me. ɫֱ was also at the forefront of technology. Compared to today, the simulation lab was still in its infancy in terms of full utilization, but the drive to embrace technology and use it to complement training stood out. Additionally, ɫֱ has such a rich history when it comes to the nursing profession and nursing education—just look up Thelma Ingles, Jacquelyn Campbell, or the history of ɫֱ Life Flight!
Can you describe your career path since graduating with your nursing degree? What do you enjoy most about what you're doing now?
My career path has been all over the place since I graduated from ɫֱ. First, I was a nurse on the Heart and Kidney unit at Children's National Medical Center in Washington, DC. A key patient population on this floor was infants and toddlers who were recovering from cardiac surgery. That was an amazing place to work, and I learned so much about nursing assessment and collaboration with all the different parts of the care team. My wife at the time entered diplomatic work with the Foreign Service through the US Department of State, so I was very fortunate to have a profession that could travel abroad. I worked as a nurse at an international school in Taiwan, and through networking with [former dean] Dr. Mary Champagne (a beloved figure in ɫֱ nursing, dearly missed), I was able to navigate a work agreement with a research foundation there as well.
Eventually, I went to graduate school and became a Family Nurse Practitioner. I ended up in the same cohort at Yale University as another ɫֱ alum. As I traveled and moved around, it became very evident how far-reaching ɫֱ’s influence was. After graduating, I worked in community health in Washington, DC, at an excellent organization called Mary’s Center. But it wasn’t long before we had to relocate again, and I somehow landed on my feet once more—this time as a nurse practitioner at the US Embassy in Prague, Czechia. Although I continued to hone my clinical practice, this job was exciting both for its international qualities and insight into the federal government.
After moving back to the US, I took my first job in higher education as a nurse practitioner at the University of New Hampshire. I immediately fell in love! For those of you not familiar with college health, I encourage you to look into it. It’s not for everyone, but it should at least be on your radar. I have since moved on from UNH and was recently appointed Director of Health Services at the University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth, where I am in my first year.
I’m also graduating with my MBA this year. What I enjoy most about my job right now is blending my clinical skills with data analytics to help drive organizational direction.
How have you leveraged what you learned in nursing school throughout your career journey and in your current position?
It’s happened in so many ways, but I will highlight one. I will always remember a class discussion on the topic of errors: were they on the part of the system or the individual? Looking through that lens has guided my actions both personally and professionally, and I think it has resulted in positive outcomes overall. Nobody thinks it’s fair to be punished for operating within faulty systems that they had nothing to do with, especially if that system will inherently drive them to an error eventually. Looking at processes with that analytical mindset and having grace with people when they are victim to bad policies has ingratiated me with people over the years. That’s not to say that we never have hard conversations or that individual errors don’t exist, but it does help me as a manager to think, “Where can I, as a leader, help create an environment that fosters success?” This has served me better than relying on punitive measures to change outcomes.
What pieces of advice might you give to current and prospective nursing students?
Having the luxury of hindsight, my advice is: do not put the weight of the world on your shoulders. This might be especially true for ɫֱ students. It’s not your responsibility to solve all the world’s problems. When I reflect on the application interviews and essays we submit to get into the schools and jobs that we settle into, too often we place undue burdens on ourselves and, indirectly, on those we love.
But that’s what we frame ourselves as, right? That we are agents of change who are bringing our history of success and determination wherever we go. But then you compare yourself to your classmates or colleagues, and suddenly you’re struck by imposter syndrome. Can I really do this? Am I good enough? Maybe if I just put in a little more. Eventually, the realities of life sink in, and all you want is to spend quality time with your family and take care of your body. And that’s ok. We don’t all have to be trailblazers on a grand stage. Eventually, you’ll find out what’s important to you, and nobody else can decide that.