Race to 100 Alumni

Courtney Stathis DNP, FNP-BC, RN     

Nursing Major
KCC Class of 2013
Current Title/Profession: Assistant Professor, Co-Chair Clinical Affiliations, Nursing Department at KCC  

Nominated by: Sarah Browne 

Dr. Courtney Stathis did not begin her career in nursing, but after trying her hand in other fields such as marketing, she shifted to follow in the footsteps of her mother, a nurse with a Ph.D. who always believed that her daughter was meant for the field. She was inspired to change course, and that redirection led Dr. Stathis back to school as a second-degree student, and eventually to Kingsborough Community College, where she graduated from the Nursing Program in 2013. Today, she is an Assistant Professor and Co-Chair of Clinical Affiliations in the very nursing department that trained her. 

Her academic path after KCC progressed steadily forward as she earned a Master of Science in Family Nurse Practitioner studies from Lehman College in 2016, followed by a Doctor of Nursing Practice from Case Western Reserve University in 2019. However, it was her years at Kingsborough, she says, that gave her the foundation she continues to draw on, “I always go back to the basics I was taught at KCC.”  

For Dr. Stathis, her time at Kingsborough was defined by the people she encountered both on campus and in her courses. Her department was filled with individuals who shared her commitment to nursing, and she carries only warm memories of her time as a student. That bond was tested during Hurricane Sandy, when she lost many of her belongings and study materials in the storm. KCC’s response and the support it extended to its students in crisis reinforced her sense of belonging to something larger than herself. “That feeling was wonderful,” she says, “it was then when I chose to embrace being part of a greater community.” 

Dr. Stathis describes herself as someone who has always given back, and she sees that same spirit reflected in the institution. Her return to KCC as faculty was a natural extension of that instinct. Her focus now is on teaching the next generation of nurses to lead with empathy, which is a quality she views as most essential in today’s clinical environment. Her advice to entering students is simple: “Follow your dreams, and work really hard. KCC can give more than you could ever dream. You can advance in life, in your career, and meet people that you’ll know forever.” Regarding the importance of giving back, she is equally clear: “KCC changed my whole career trajectory. Giving back can provide for those who would have never had the chance previously.”