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April 1, 2009Enlisting into the army full time is not the usual step after graduating with abachelor’s degree in nursing, but that is the route one UNLV graduate has taken.“Change is difficult, sometimes it’s good and sometimes it’s bad, and I’mscared of it turning bad, but I’m willing to take that risk and this is definitely a risk,I’ll tell you that,” said Denise Gonzalez.At age 23, Gonzalez was the only graduate of her class to take the Armyroute. During her last semester at UNLV, she decided that after graduating andreceiving her nursing license in May she would enlist full time as an officer in theArmy Nurse Corps. She had many reasons for enlisting full time, but mainly itwas the benefits she would receive.“The main thing that made me want to join is career opportunities,so now that I go and I come back in three to four years, I’m going tobe fully experienced in different areas. I’ll be a more qualified nursethan anyone else, that’s for sure,” she said.Gonzalez said the economy crisis was really affecting her graduating classand that a lot of her colleagues had not yet found jobs. So she thought this wouldbe a good opportunity to take advantage of.The armed forces wouldn’t be a new task for Gonzalez. As a six-year National Guard member, her transition into the Army Nurse Corps would mean apromotion in rank. Being promoted to an officer position would mean that at age23 Gonzalez would be in charge of her own squadron.

Combating stereotypes and oppression is a task that Gonzalez has facedsince she joined the armed forces. At the height of 5’2” and weighing 112pounds, Gonzalez is a petite female, but her friend, Dolores Jule believe she haswhat it takes to prove the stereotypes wrong.“The military is a patriarchal institution led by men. She has had towork twice as hard both physically and mentally than any to other man in the same position, in order to get where she is at now. Sheis strong inside and out, and she believes she can do her military job the same or even better than a man,” said Jule.Jule believes her friend has the leadership skills it takes to be a leader in the“real world” and knows she will be a skilled nurse.Gonzalez joined the armed forces at 17 as a junior in high school. Initiallyshe joined the army as a way to pay for college and to help her grow out of her shell.“I was like in a corner kind of girl, I knew I needed something to open meup, so I thought what else than the military,” Gonzalez said. She used to be ashy, unapproachable girl, but she said the army has really changed that.According to Gonzalez, the past six years have made her grow up to be anindependent strong woman.Another benefit of joining was that she had all her education paid for.“no loans,” she said proudly.

Gonzalez has enlisted for three years to the Army Nurse Corps. She willspend two months in San Antonio, Texas training to be an officer. Then she willbe stationed in Washington D.C. for a year. She will be in a residency program atWalter Reed Army Medical Center a place she chose because wounded Iraqsoldiers are taken there. From there, she hopes to be sent to Hawaii for labor delivery nurse training.“The training is six months, but they will probably want me to stay there,since they’re paying for my education,” Gonzalez said.Her goal is to get her masters, become a nurse practitioner and own her ownclinic. She wants to open her own clinic mainly to help the Hispanic population.“A lot of Hispanic women are shy or embarrassed or don’t knowwhat kind of questions to ask their doctor, so I want to be thatfemale “doctor” that they can be comfortable talking to,” Gonzalezsaid.Gonzalez is aware of the risk she runs of being deployed and has come toaccept it. “As a nurse I feel like I can do a lot of help out there. I’m 23 years old,and you always run the risk of dying. I know that I fully lived my life,” she said.She feels that she’s not as scared as most people, and is willing to take the riskof dying.“She might seem like a fragile and dainty flower, however she's a toughcookie on the inside,” said Stephanie Hernandez, close friend of Gonzalez.“Honestly, I think it's the best place for her because it lets her showcase her