Please meet Mary Pulchinski. Mary is a UW-Madison, Doctorate of Nursing Practice Student, who worked with us at the Trauma-Informed Pilot Team this spring.
What three traits define you?
I believe my compassion and empathy, my drive to make the world a better place, and my sense of humor define me.
What is your personal philosophy?
Treat others as you would like to be treated.
What’s one thing you couldn’t live without?
My corgis Remy and Winona- they bring me so much joy, especially when I’m having a bad day.
What is the greatest challenge you have had to overcome in your life thus far?
This would be a tie between caring for my terminally ill mother while she battled cancer, and eventually lost that battle. The other would be working, going to school and raising a family as a single parent.
What is the one thing you cannot resist?
Disney movies and/or signing along to Disney movies. Followed closely by pizza.
What is your greatest fear?
I am weirdly highly phobic… Spiders, heights, enclosed spaces, deep water, insects, snakes… take your pick.
Where is your favorite place to be?
I am 100% a homebody, and my favorite place to be is at home.
What is your favorite thing to do?
I like to read, watch true crime documentaries (don’t judge), listen to music and do artsy-craftsy kinds of things (though I’m not very good at it).
What’s the weirdest job you’ve ever had?
My very first job out of high school was working as a telemarketer, selling NRA memberships.
What does true leadership mean to you?
I think true leadership means inspiring those around you to be their best and continually challenge themselves. True leaders have a passion for what they do, and they instill that passion in those they work with. They are collaborative and willing to consider new approaches or ideas.
Which one would you want most – flying cars, robot housekeepers, or moon cities?
Being busy with a full-time career, graduate school and family, I would definitely pick robot housekeepers.
What has been the most important innovation you have witnessed in your lifetime?
I would have to say the internet. It is incredible to think that the world is so connected now, because of the internet, when it was barely even a thing when I was in high school.
Why did you choose nursing as a career?
I chose nursing, specifically public health and population health because I wanted to help people, especially marginalized and underserved communities. I have a passion for health equity and social justice, and I saw a career in nursing as an opportunity to make a difference.
What would you do (for a career) if you weren’t doing this?
I actually really enjoy my job as a Tuberculosis Nurse Consultant for the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. I don’t know that I would want to be doing something else, honestly. Maybe become an author?
What would you most like to tell yourself at age 13?
Life is hard but you are strong, and you can do anything that you set your mind to doing.
What are your three most overused words/phrases?
“But whyyyy?” “Well what the heck?” and “So, let’s say…” with a bonus of “Sophie (my cat) you little gremlin, stop chewing on that!”
How do you define success?
I define success as feeling fulfilled and proud of what you do/have done.
What is the best book you have ever read?
There is simply no way to answer this… there are too many to choose from!
Please also tell us how many years you’ve been in education, if you have held previous positions before this and maybe even where you went to college, etc.
I’ve been a registered nurse for 13 years now and have worked in public health for my entire nursing career. I currently work for the State of Wisconsin Department of Health Services within the Bureau of Communicable Diseases as a Tuberculosis Nurse Consultant (yes, tuberculosis is still a thing). I went to school as an adult learner, starting at Northcentral Technical College where I obtained my Associate Degree in Nursing, then the University of Wisconsin- Oshkosh, where I obtained my Bachelor's Degree in Nursing, and now I am studying at the University of Wisconsin- Madison to earn my Doctor of Nursing Practice Degree with a specialization in Population Health, with an expected graduation date of Spring 2025.