Phoebe Keryte

Biography

For Phoebe Keryte, nursing is more than a profession—it is a way to serve her community, honor her heritage, and create lasting change in Indigenous health care. Her nursing journey is as rich and layered as the cultural heritage she proudly embraces. She brings a unique perspective shaped by her experiences growing up in Isleta Pueblo and on the Navajo Nation, both tribes located in the Southwest in what is now known as New Mexico. She comes from a matrilineal society where the leadership of women is central to community well-being. Her path to nursing has been guided by a desire to bridge traditional knowledge with modern health care practices.

Keryte can trace her interest in nursing back to her childhood, visiting the Albuquerque Veterans Hospital with her father, a disabled veteran. She recalls the exceptional care the nurses provided along with their compassion, communication, and cultural humility.

“They explained everything in terms we could understand,” she says. “It made a lasting impression on me.”

Learn more about Phoebe Keryte’s journey to the MSN (Entry into Nursing) program.