Jessica Walker, a Belmont School of Nursing alumnus, was recently honored as a Founder’s Medalist for Vanderbilt School of Nursing where she graduated with her Master’s of Science in Nursing in Vanderbilt’s Psychiatric-Mental Heath Nurse Practitioner program.

According to the Vanderbilt website, the Founder’s Medals have been given since 1877 to the top graduates from each school at the University, in honor of the awards’ benefactor Cornelius Vanderbilt.

Since being at Vanderbilt, Walker received the American Psychiatric Nurses Association Board of Directors Student Scholarship, served as president of the National Alliance on Mental Illness and was very involved locally as she volunteered at Room in the Inn, NAMI of Davidson County and Renewal House. Currently, Walker is enrolled in Vanderbilt’s Doctor of Nursing Practice Program.