Aliyah Babler says she has never met a stranger. The Christian Brothers University (CBU) nursing student and former student-athlete describes herself as someone who could “talk to a wall.” Yet when she first arrived on campus, it took time to find her place.

“My freshman year, I didn’t really feel like I had found a place to fit,” she recalled.​

Originally from Fort Worth, Texas, Babler grew up in a close-knit homeschooling community. She chose CBU because she could pursue nursing and play collegiate volleyball, and because its Lasallian values reflected what her family had taught her.​

The transition to college was an adjustment. While Babler worked to find her footing on the court, she began building connections elsewhere on campus. Her early undergraduate years were filled with rigorous studies and daily volleyball practices. But as the years progressed and the love of health sciences increased, she decided to make academics her priority. 

She names friends and a few faculty and staff members, like Dr. Nichole Knox and Beth Gerl, among those who have encouraged her. Small classes brought familiar faces from her freshman year through her senior year of the nursing program, and friendships have continued to grow.​

Today, Babler balances clinical rotations, classes, exams, and a job alongside a nursing cohort of approximately 15 students. They share study materials, check in after exams, and help each other through demanding weeks.​

“We’re a really close-knit family,” she said. “They’re going through the same thing that I’m going through, but they still take time to be like, ‘Hey, how’d you do on your exam? Can I help you with anything?’”​

Dr. Nichole Knox, Director and Associate Professor of CBU’s Nursing Department, sees the same determination in Babler.​

“Although nursing education presents unique academic, personal, and clinical challenges, Aliyah consistently faces these challenges head-on with determination, a willingness to learn, and a positive attitude,” Knox said.​

Knox also points to Babler’s collaborative approach to patient care. “Her ability to work alongside others reflects the importance she places on teamwork, collaboration, and the shared responsibility of providing safe, effective, and compassionate patient care,” she added.

For Babler, those qualities connect to the Lasallian principle that resonates most with her: Respect for All Persons.​

“Being kind and respecting people costs you nothing,” Babler said. “You never know what people are going through.”​

That belief became especially tangible during a clinical rotation at Lakeside, where Babler saw how listening without judgment helped patients open up.​

“When we gave them respect and kindness, they were so much more open to talking to us,” she explained. “They didn’t feel like someone was looking down on them and judging them.”​

Her motivation to become a nurse also has deep family roots. Two of Babler’s nephews spent time in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). Her sisters never forgot the nurses who made an uncertain time feel safer.​

“My sisters just talked so much about how their nurses were their rock,” Babler shared. “They just provided them a sense of peace.”​

Babler hopes to offer other families that same reassurance. Clinical rotations have reinforced her interest in caring for children and newborns, and she has particularly appreciated the hopeful atmosphere of a postpartum floor.​

“This is a place of happy new beginnings,” she said. “In a lot of nursing school stuff, we see a lot of endings.”​

For families navigating a child’s hospital stay, she wants to be a steady advocate and a source of comfort.​

“I think it’s really important that I get to be that person for people,” she said.​

Babler’s own experience of finding community has come full circle. For three years, she has served as an orientation guide, welcoming new students who are beginning to find their places at CBU.​

She has advice for the younger version of herself, too: “Your worth isn’t determined by your sports performance or your class performance. Be the person that you know that you are and stay true to yourself.”

“I’m really thankful for my experience here,” Babler said. “I think I’ve found some of my lifelong friends.”

As she looks toward nursing, the student who once struggled to find where she belonged is ready to help others feel seen, supported, and cared for.

Aliyah is set to graduate in May 2027.