Ashleen and Maurice Blackbird hold many titles, some steeped in rich heritage and others infused with deep familial meaning, but the most recent titles they have acquired are among the most prestigious a person can earn in academia – the title of Doctor. For the Blackbirds, those titles came by earning the degree of Doctor of Nursing Practice from Morningside University.

The Drs. Blackbird both grew up under the expansive blue skies of Nebraska. Ashleen is from Rosalie, Nebraska, and lived on the Omaha Indian Reservation but attended high school off-reservation at Bancroft-Rosalie. Maurice hails from the small town of Walthill, located on the Umonhon (Omaha) Reservation, where he is an enrolled member who also has ties to the Cheyenne River Sioux through his grandmother.

For Ashleen, growing up involved balancing traditional Umonhon ways with non-traditional practices off the reservation. Her parents instilled the value of education early on, with her mom frequently asserting, “Education is something that no one can take away from you,” urging Ashleen to pursue it to better serve her people. Inspired by her lineage as a direct descendant of Dr. Susan LaFlesche-Picotte, one of the first Indigenous physicians, and with her grandmother Wehnona Stabler as CEO of the Carl T. Curtis Health Education Center (CTCHEC) in Macy, Nebraska, Ashleen was motivated to excel.

Leveraging that ambition, Ashleen applied for an internship at the clinic right out of high school and was selected as an administrative assistant that summer before starting college. This pivotal experience broadened her understanding of health administration and set her on the path to Creighton University, where she earned her degree in healthcare administration and policy in 2012.

Driven by an ambition to become a CEO, she continued to intern every summer and holiday break at CTCHEC, working closely with nurse practitioner Kelly Bean, who became one of her most significant role models. Kelly’s exceptional rapport with patients and unwavering dedication to care deeply influenced Ashleen, igniting a desire to emulate that spirit of service.

To enhance her marketability, Ashleen pursued a nursing degree to qualify for a loan repayment program where she discovered her passion for nursing, shaping her career moving forward. Meanwhile, Maurice did not find his calling in healthcare until later in life, but he was cognizant even as a kid of a lack of professionals working in the field who looked like him. The need to bring representation to healthcare became significant for him, and that passion only grew after meeting Ashleen and starting his education.

Even when things were tough, the importance of representation became a driving force behind Maurice. “As I started thinking about my goals, I thought about how it’d feel to have someone from our own community available to take care of us. That vision has kept me in healthcare and has driven me to continue to grow as a healthcare professional. After achieving one goal, I set the next goal, then the next. I want there to be more people with my background in healthcare.”

While working for All Native Solutions, Maurice gained clarity about his aspirations and chose to pursue a career as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT). This path presented challenges, with required courses scheduled during business hours. However, with support from Ashleen, his family, and his employer, he secured a position as an ambulance driver at CTCHEC, affording him the flexibility to continue his education while working night shifts. Becoming an ambulance driver was just the beginning; Maurice completed the EMT summer course and was soon employed by the Omaha Tribal Rescue. His dedication propelled him through the ranks, first as a quality control officer and then as the department director.

When Maurice decided to pursue a nursing degree, he initially enrolled at another institution. However, after a former classmate who transferred to Morningside shared her positive experience, he investigated the opportunity for himself and discovered an environment where he felt he could thrive. He worked towards his Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Morningside while Ashleen completed her Master of Science in Nursing there and began her first job as a family nurse practitioner. Maurice earned his BSN shortly after and chose to continue his education at Morningside by pursuing a MSN of his own.

At that point, the Blackbirds believed they had reached the end of their educational journeys, but Dr. Jackie Barber, dean of the Nylen School of Nursing, reached out to Ashleen in 2020 to make her aware of the launch of a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program at Morningside. Although initially hesitant, it didn’t take long for Dr. Barber to enroll both of them in the program. Given their positive experiences at Morningside in previous programs, they bravely committed to starting just a month later; Ashleen even persuaded her former classmate Aura, who had become her close ally during her master’s program, to join them as well.

A significant reason for the Blackbirds’ decision to pursue the Morningside DNP program was the strong sense of community they had felt as prior students. Ashleen reflected, “I think that community is built by mutual understanding that we are all in this together. We all have busy lives and understand the demanding requirements to achieve your dreams. There was a lot of support from other students throughout the program. Even the smallest compliment in a discussion forum could be just what you needed to keep going that week. It was always such a supportive environment both on and off campus. I even had an instructor who told us we could call her anytime, and I took that literally because I needed it. Having that sounding board was something I really needed at times I felt overwhelmed.”

This sense of community was particularly essential for the Blackbirds as DNP students given the many responsibilities competing for their attention. Juggling work, parenting three children, adopting another child, caring for four dogs, and fulfilling obligations to their family and community was no small feat. In fact, during their first year in the program, Ashleen lost her younger brother to an ATV accident; it was the support of the Morningside community that helped her persevere. She shared, “It was truly one of the darkest times of our lives. The Morningside faculty and students in my courses were such a great support in those hard days. They were patient and offered kind words to my family and me. I even received handwritten cards from a few instructors at home. I will never forget how those little gestures made a significant difference for me.”

In those tough moments, both Blackbirds acknowledged that practicing self-care and keeping their end goals in mind were crucial to their success. Maurice recalled, “There were times when life felt overwhelming and obstacles seemed never-ending. Each semester, we created a self-care plan to tackle both expected and unexpected challenges. These plans helped me identify strategies for managing stress, though I wasn’t always consistent in following them. However, when I did, they were beneficial. Keeping my end goal in mind proved essential. My advice to anyone considering this program is to push through challenges, develop a stress management plan, and stick to it. Don’t hesitate to reach out to your instructors; they understand your struggles and can provide valuable insights. Sometimes, just discussing your concerns with them can greatly alleviate stress.”

This past May, the Blackbirds reached the pinnacle of their nursing education when they walked at the Morningside University Commencement Ceremony. They captured the hearts of many in attendance as they were hooded and received their diplomas back-to-back. Ashleen crossed the field first, then turned to watch as her husband enjoyed his moment, greeting him with a hug as they celebrated a remarkable achievement in front of family, friends, and a crowd of around 4,000.

Maurice reflected on the day, sharing, “Graduation day was a bit emotional for me. I never thought that I would go to college, let alone reach this level of education. Leading up to graduation, I caught myself thinking back to where it all started for us. All the sacrifices we had to make while pursuing our degrees—the missed family time, the long days and nights, the family and friends that encouraged us to pursue our education but who we lost before they could see us graduate—all those things made this so special for me and us. Accomplishing this together made it even more special.”

Ashleen also acknowledged how significant graduation was, particularly emphasizing their accomplishments as first-generation college students. She shared, “I never dreamt that us two ‘rez kids’ could have accomplished something this incredible. We often use #teamblackbird on things we share on social media, and that really means ‘us.’ We were both first-generation college students that broke the mold. Our kids saw us accomplish this. Graduation day was truly surreal; it was the most amazing day. I still tear up thinking about the moment of getting our diplomas because of how much it meant that we accomplished our goal.”

“I was more emotional at our graduation than I think I was at our wedding ceremony. On that day, we were DOCTORS! It was something that was once only a dream, and it came true.”

Now, on the other side of their educational journey, the Blackbirds aren’t slowing down. Both are busy working professionals committed to giving back as much as they can, greatly influenced by an opportunity they had to travel to Guatemala for a Helps International mission trip during their first year of the DNP program. They are also enjoying more time with their immediate and extended family and are even expanding their family with another Baby Blackbird set to arrive next March.

As they reflect on the richness of the life they are enjoying, Ashleen acknowledges the role Morningside played in it all: “I am always going to stand behind the fact that Morningside was one of the best decisions I have ever made. My children are already talking about going to Morningside when they get older. I am incredibly proud of my husband for reaching his goals from Morningside as well. He loved Morningside so much that he now holds three degrees from there. We are incredibly blessed to have found a program and community that was a perfect match for our busy lives.”