Meet our Scholars

Claire Kane, DNP, BSN, RN

I found my way to midwifery after several years of working with midwives at perinatal substance use disorder treatment programs in North Carolina and Massachusetts, where I saw firsthand how transformative the midwifery model of care was for our patients. Through those experiences, I decided that I wanted to serve my community as a midwife and play a role in addressing the systemic disparities in care that so many birthing people face in this country.

I am very grateful for the ANEW-WA program and the opportunity it provides to train at facilities that provide care to rural and urban underserved communities so that we can be more prepared to serve these communities as future providers.

 Graduation: Winter 2025

Kathleen L. Kang, DNP, MS, BSN, RN

I am a DNP candidate in nurse-midwifery at the University of Washington. I am dedicated to advancing social justice with anti-racism and reproductive justice frameworks guiding clinical practice. My practice provides full-scope sexual and reproductive healthcare and family planning services, increases autonomy, and strengthens the communities served. I bring over 15 years of professional and academic experience in engineering and nursing with a focus on critical and systems-level thinking, with strong interpersonal and communication skills.

Graduation: Winter 2025

Sera Madsen, DNP-AGPCNP, BSN, RN

I’m a third-year Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) student in the gerontology primary care track, committed to advancing holistic, patient-centered care for older adults. Originally from China, I immigrated to the United States in 2009 and began my nursing journey at Everett Community College. My diverse experiences have shaped my compassionate and culturally informed approach to care.

With a nursing background in diversity over the past 10 years, I’m passionate about addressing the unique needs of older adults, particularly in rural and underserved communities. My professional goals include enhancing access to care for vulnerable populations, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, and advocating for evidence-based practices to improve health outcomes.

The ANEW-WA program has been an invaluable part of my journey, providing me with incredible practice environments and financial support, which have equipped me with the skills, resources, and confidence to address the unique healthcare needs of underserved communities.

To future participants: embrace every opportunity, as this program prepares you to make a meaningful impact in the lives of others, particularly in rural or underserved populations, while growing as a compassionate and skilled practitioner.

Graduation: Winter 2025

Jeff Miles, DNP, MSN, RN

I am a 3rd year DNP student at the University of Washington training to become a Family Nurse Practitioner. Throughout my nursing career in the emergency and intensive care settings, I have witnessed how our healthcare system continues to fail those who need it most. My ultimate goal is to connect folks to innovative and sustainable primary care in the places in which they live, work, love, pray, and play.

The ANEW-WA program was reaffirmed my decision to work with rural and medically underserved populations. The combination of the clinical experiences, hearing from professionals in the field, and access to resources we can use in our future careers made for a great experience!

Graduation: Winter 2025

Melissa Newton-Mora, DNP-PMHNP, BSN, RN

I possess a robust background in inpatient psychiatry, where I have passionately dedicated my career to supporting individuals grappling with severe mental illnesses and substance use disorders. My diverse experiences across various clinical settings have provided me with valuable insights into the complexities and challenges faced by these populations, particularly those on the margins of society. This has ignited my unwavering commitment to advocate for vulnerable groups and deliver compassionate, evidence-based care.

Currently, I am pursuing a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP), with the aim of acquiring advanced skills to enhance mental health outcomes for those in need. Upon graduation, I aspire to either join an ARNP Fellowship to further hone my expertise or work in a setting that allows me to continue my commitment to serving marginalized populations. My ultimate goal is to ensure equitable access to high-quality mental health care for underserved communities, where treatment disparities are the most pronounced. I am deeply dedicated to addressing these inequalities by advocating for culturally humble, patient-centered approaches and striving to improve mental health outcomes for those who need it most.

Love takes off the masks that we fear we cannot live without and know we cannot live within…
-James Baldwin

Graduation: Winter 2025

Michelle Rotberg, DNP, BSN, RN

I am a nursing professional pursuing a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree focusing on pediatric nurse practitioners’ primary care. I have a comprehensive nursing background, spanning specialties such as labor and delivery, postpartum care, fertility services, post-anesthesia care, and operating room circulating nurse. My clinical education during my DNP program has deepened my expertise in pediatric care, including newborn rounding, primary care, and developmental pediatrics, with a specific focus on Autism and ADHD evaluations.

I aspire to provide compassionate, evidence-based care tailored to children and their families. My diverse nursing background equips me with the knowledge and skills to positively impact pediatric health outcomes and family well-being.

The ANEW-WA program has empowered me to address health inequities by equipping me with the skills and knowledge to serve rural and underserved communities effectively. I’ve gained invaluable experience to make a meaningful impact as a future pediatric primary care nurse practitioner.

Graduation: Winter 2025

Portia Sharma, DNP, BSN, RN

I have worked as a registered nurse for over ten years and have been directly working with the community facing mental health needs. Working in mental health may not be for everyone, but I have a strong passion and motivation to help individuals experiencing disparities in health care to promote their health. I have worked most of my years in an inpatient setting at the University of Washington Medical Center- Northwest Campus, where I provided care to patients with comorbid medical and mental health conditions.

My career goals are centered on the community’s mental health needs, so I plan to work in an outpatient setting where I can engage in the community to identify gaps and provide support to enhance mental well-being.

With my clinical experience in an underserved setting with the ANEW program, I have gained insight into the rural setting and the challenges the communities face, preparing me well to bring a positive outcome.

My participation in the ANEW-WA program helped me gain a wealth of clinical experiences in the underserved setting, which has created a foundation for my career growth.

Graduation: Winter 2025

Emily Strathy, DNP, BSN, RN

Hello everyone! It has been such a joy to be an ANEW-WA participant during my time in the DNP program at the University of Washington. Through this program, I’ve been able to experience clinical rotations in rural and underserved areas, which closely align with my career interests. I have experience as a registered nurse in the emergency department at a level one trauma center and within public health in the correctional setting. Upon graduation from the DNP program at UW, I’d love to pursue a career within primary care at a community health center or in the emergency department.

Participation in the ANEW-WA program is an incredible way to explore clinical interests, such as caring for patients in rural and underserved areas, while forming meaningful connections with partner agencies. I highly recommend the program to anyone interested in rural medicine.

Graduation: Winter 2025

Natalie Volberding, DNP, BSN, RN, C-EFM

I have been a nurse for 12.5 years and started the DNP program in Fall 2022. My nursing career has been all with the University of Washington! I started on a medical surgical oncology unit where I cared for gynecology and urology oncology patients. I then transitioned to a high-risk labor and delivery unit for a few years. For the last 5 years, I have worked as an outpatient OB/GYN and Maternal Fetal Medicine nurse. My DNP program track is family nurse practitioner and I plan to start my career as a ARNP as a primary care provider. I have a strong passion for women’s health but have enjoyed my clinical rotations in family medicine clinic including well child visits and chronic disease management.

I am grateful for the opportunity to have the majority of my clinicals in rural health locations as my entire nursing career has been in a resource rich healthcare organization. Being able to work with patients in a population where you truly need to prioritize care and meet the patient where they are at has been a truly invaluable experience.

Graduation: Winter 2025

Connor Jude Wesley, DNP, BSN, RN

I came to nursing in my late 30s as a third career. Before becoming a nurse, I was an EMT, and then I worked with homeless youth in King County. Over the last 10 years as a nurse, I have worked entirely in the hospital setting. I started in oncology and then moved to the Emergency Room. As a Nurse Practitioner, I aim to provide a safe place in healthcare for all my patients in order to help them reach their health goals.

The ANEW-WA program has helped me to have a more well-rounded clinical experience. It has given me the opportunity to explore topics and issues that impact rural and underserved populations in unique ways.

Graduation: Winter 2025

Devon Woodley, DNP, BSN, RN

I am a third-year graduate student at the University of Washington School of Nursing, where I am pursuing a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree with training as a family nurse practitioner. I graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from UW in 2022, when I was also recognized for academic achievement by the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing. I have worked in various aspects of healthcare – emergency medicine, cardiology, pain management, and military medicine – since 2017 and have experience as an EMT, MA, scribe, and combat medic. Before joining the nursing profession, I had just finished my third overseas deployment on an independent assignment with the United States Army. Currently, I work as a substitute school nurse at Seattle Public Schools, caring for students in grades K through 12.

Outside healthcare, I have dabbled in a bit of everything, from finance to public relations, and I also hold a degree in Strategic Communications with Business Administration. Above all, I value deep understanding with patients, and I aspire to align their care with their goals to pursue quality of life while protecting and promoting their health. I enjoy resource-limited settings and am passionate about bringing people together for collaborative, interdisciplinary, innovative solutions to complex problems. In my free time, I love exploring the Pacific Northwest outdoors with my wife and our puppy.

My time in the ANEW-WA program has afforded me the invaluable opportunity to explore rural primary care practice. From geography and resources to people and communities, rural care offers a distinctly indelible blend of both joy and challenge that reinforced my interests in service to underserved communities and the fundamental role of primary care in health equity.

Graduation: Winter 2025