By David Biglari
“I had these grand dreams of being a big writer,” says David Hunter ’08, whose previous career led to the publication of eight non-fiction books on topics ranging from smoking to pharmaceuticals to bipolar disorder.
When he decided it was time to switch careers, Hunter began to look into health care. He discovered that he enjoyed the flexible schedules for nurses in comparison to other medical professions. For Hunter, whose mother and grandmothers were also nurses, the choice was clear.
“When I first saw the Peace Corps program [at Johns Hopkins], I said, ‘Alright, that’s where I’m going.’” Hunter was so confident Hopkins was the place for him, he didn’t apply anywhere else. Following his graduation last year, Hunter maintained his appreciation and connection to Hopkins.
He found a great starting place for his career on Nelson 8, a surgical floor specializing in orthopedics and trauma at The Johns Hopkins Hospital, and maintained close ties to the school as a board member of the Johns Hopkins Nurses’ Alumni Association. Hunter was asked to fill a vacated elected director spot on the board.
“Being on the board has given me a much better appreciation of the activities and networking opportunities to which our dues contribute.” He adds, “One of my goals on the board is to use comfortable social media tools to bring in more recent graduates not far enough out of school to realize the impact that their contributions can make to students and the community.”
Hunter may soon pick up the pen yet again. “I definitely want to continue to write and maybe break out into fiction. Combining my writing background with nursing could open up a world of possibilities.”
