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2015 Dare to Care Award

Ronda Miller-Ernest, DNP, APRN,PNP-BC

miller-ernest

When Ronda was 12 years of age her mother died from a preventable death.  Even though death is imminent at some time in all of our lives, losing a loved one at such a young age left an impression that motivated her to want to help prevent such tragedies when possible. It was this life event that propelled her into choosing Nursing as a career.

During nursing school at Weber State College it wasn’t until her Pediatric rotation that she found her niche and then she decided to get a bachelor’s degree in Child Development at the same time.  Ronda then obtained her graduate degree as a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner at the University of California, San Francisco and returned to Utah to help develop the Pediatric Nurse Practitioner program at the University of Utah.  Ronda has always worked in Pediatrics since graduating with her RN degree through to her Doctorate of Nursing Practice.

Ronda has felt that her career choice as a Nurse has provided her with many opportunities to provide service. Professionally as a nurse practitioner she has been able to serve diverse populations not only abroad in three different countries but also locally.

Abroad Ronda has been on 4 medical missions to Ghana, Kenya and China. Locally she is the primary health care provider for many refugee patients in her private practice. Due to this work she saw a necessity to expand her volunteerism because of witnessing the great needs of so many people. So along with her 19 year old daughter who had been serving at her side since age 11 they began their own nonprofit 501(c) (3) Education for Generations in 2011. Education for Generations purpose is to promote health and education for underprivileged children, which provides them with opportunities to excel, so they can help their communities as well as their future generations. The organization also promotes volunteerism locally and abroad to increase awareness about helping others in need. 

Earnest receiving awardEducation for Generations has built a school in rural Kenya, which currently has 300 students with a curriculum that focuses on empowerment and giving children the skills they need to be able to live well rounded successful lives.  Self sustainability if one of the main goals for this school, therefore there is a garden to help with food, 3 cows for milking and a water well that not only provides for the needs of the school but is being sold to the surrounding community. Ronda feels education is critical to lift oneself out of poverty and be able to act independently without the constraints of reliance on others.

Education for Generations also provides needed household items to many refugee families who are relocated to Utah, as well as necessary funds for refugee children to participate in extracurricular learning. Ronda believes that by educating this generation of refugees their future generations will be a strong and contributing asset to the State of Utah.

Dr. Miller-Ernest received the award at the 21st Annual Honors for Nursing event on Monday, May 12, 2015. Congratulations Dr. Miller-Ernest.