The Magic of Starting Over: Alumnus Dave Hobler Creates Scholarship Reflective of His Experiences
That’s exactly what engineer-turned-nurse David Hobler '10 did when he suffered a stroke at 52. Having lost nearly 90% of his sight and most of the function of his left side, Hobler spent the next two years recovering and working back to full function at Kaiser Permanente Santa Rosa, gaining unexpected insight along the way.
"The best thing that ever happened to me was having a stroke," Hobler said. "It allowed me to step back and reassess everything in my life; and after receiving the level of care I did during my hospital stay, I decided if I got back to full health, I would give that care back."
The decision to leave a 20-year career in engineering was an easy one, made even easier by a once-in-a-lifetime offer from Hobler’s mother.
"My mom needed a home health nurse and asked if I would move back to South Dakota to fill that position in exchange for tuition for nursing school," Hobler said. "Everything just kind of fell into place after that."
Hobler graduated from the University of South Dakota nursing program and landed a job in Casper, Wyoming, at the Wyoming Medical Center working with traumatic brain injury patients.
"I was able to follow people through their stroke rehabilitation and became friends with so many patients, many of whom reminded me of my mom," Hobler said. "It was a really special year – a really special start to my nursing career."
A year that unfortunately included the passing of Hobler’s mother was the catalyst for his future in nursing.
"My mom helped me start over. She lived long enough to see me go back to school, graduate and get my first nursing job," Hobler said. "I knew I wanted to honor her and the role she played – and so I started a scholarship with a portion of the money she left me."
The Alice Hobler Starting Over Scholarship is an undergraduate award for students enrolled in or accepted to the USD nursing program, specifically those pursuing nursing as a second career.
"Sometimes you get stuck in life and it stops you from doing what you really want to do," Hobler said. "I want this scholarship to symbolize that it’s never too late to start over, and to honor the second chance I was given to do just that. Now I want to give that chance to somebody else by making the financial burden of a career change a little less heavy."
Hobler retired this past January after more than 14 years of working as a bedside nurse, tending to patients young and old, a constant reminder of how important it is to give back when and what you can.
"Starting this scholarship and being able to stay connected to USD, it’s an extension of making people feel better during trying situations, just like nursing," Hobler said. "If you can, be involved in the future – it’s all we have."
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