By Dan Lathey
 
Life has been a whirlwind for former Texas A&M International University golfer Hannah Jiao over the last 16 months. After earning her bachelor's degree in Nursing in May 2019, the Dallas, Texas native jumped into the professional world two months later by accepting a position as a critical care Emergency Room nurse at Doctor's Hospital of Laredo.
 
The arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic has been a challenge, but Jiao says the discipline it took to play collegiate golf while also navigating a rigorous nursing school curriculum have helped her to meet that challenge. She also credits inspiration from her mother Nemee, a nurse for over 20 years, in showing her how rewarding a nursing career can be regardless of the obstacles.
 
Before arriving at TAMIU, Jiao achieved an outstanding four-year career at Coppell High School. She earned second-team All-District honors as a junior and senior while helping lead her team to consecutive fourth place finishes at the 6A State Tournament. Jiao was recruited by then Dustdevil head coach Becca Foster in 2014 and although she had never heard of TAMIU's golf program, she quickly decided that she had found a home where she wanted to compete for the next few years.
 
Jiao competed in 26 tournaments as a Dustdevil under the direction of head coach Rudy Gonzalez, notching 10 Top 20 finishes. Her best effort was a sixth place finish at the UH-Victoria Classic in 2015. Jiao was TAMIU's top finisher at the Heartland Conference Championships at Horseshoe Bay Resort as a senior.
 
Gonzalez, who took over as coach in 2015, says Jiao was exactly the type of athlete he needed to build a solid program. He is proud that she has remained in Laredo to battle COVID-19 in what has been a hard-hit area.
 
"As we took on the task of developing the Dustdevil program we knew step one was to have great people around," Gonzalez said. "Hannah is a special person that I really enjoyed being around. She has taken on all obstacles that have come her way, and I really respect her drive to get through the demanding nursing program that TAMIU offers. It is gratifying to see one of our own achieve goals and contribute to our community as a nurse. We are proud of her."
 
Jiao would eventually like to seek nursing opportunities in Dallas or another major city, but for now she in quite content on serving the citizens in her adopted hometown of Laredo.  She recently took some time from her busy schedule to share her thoughts on a variety of subjects:
 
Question: What is your best memory of your TAMIU playing career?
Answer: I loved the tradition that we started a couple years ago with the Jack Brown Memorial tournament, where the public would come out and play with us during our practice rounds. It was a great way to destress` from competition golf and just meet with the public and have some fun. The best part was seeing our coaches play with us! It is a great tradition, and something I hope the TAMIU golf program continues.
 
Lastly, my favorite memory would be the car rides to tournaments. Nothing could beat Stripes taco runs in the morning or gossip and laughter in the car with my teammates. Most of the time our assistant coach Will would drive us, and he would have to deal with all of our antics, from fighting on where to eat to forgetting golf clubs at the course after driving away. No matter how well or difficult the tournament may have been, I will always cherish and remember time spent with my teammates.
 
Question: The TAMIU women's golf program improved dramatically during your playing career. What hopes do you have for the program in the future?
 
Answer: From when I began playing for TAMIU in 2014 all the way to 2018, every aspect of the golf program changed. TAMIU was truly a hidden gem at that time. TAMIU was at one point ranked one of the lowest teams in the conference. As the years progressed, the talent on our team increased and TAMIU began gaining attention while we climbed the rankings. My hope is that many student-athletes do not get star struck by these Division I schools or blind-sided by these highly advertised Division II universities. TAMIU truly is a great place to grow not only in the sport of golf competition but as well as a groomed student. TAMIU allowed me the opportunity to balance both of these things. I hope the program gains more recognition and more incredible players allow themselves the chance to play and represent an amazing university. The coaching staff is amazing and the facilities are great. TAMIU provides all the resources you need to become a better athlete, and I hope every aspiring college athlete gives this university a chance; plus, you cannot beat the authentic tacos in Laredo!
 
Question: What is the most rewarding aspect of your chosen career and what are your ultimate career goals?
 
Answer: As cliché as it sounds, I love making a difference and helping people. I have always been a people person, and the best part about being a registered nurse is the healing effect you have on everyone. As an RN in the emergency room, the public comes to you sick and being able to stabilize a patient and get them to higher level of care, or watch a sick patient walk out and feel like 100% is the most rewarding part. The appreciation you get from patients because of the work you do makes you feel like you truly are making a difference; people will never forget the moments that you helped them. People trust you to take care of them - a task that is not to be taken lightly. Nursing is an ever-growing field and there are so many aspects to it, and that is what I love about it -that there is always room to grow. Within the near future, I plan to go back to school and get my master's degree and study to become a Nurse Practitioner. My plan is either to become a Nurse Practitioner and continue to work in emergency medicine or work side by side with a doctor in a private practice.
 
Question: What message would you most like to convey to the public in regards to your experience as a nurse in the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic?
 
Answer: Wash your hands, and wear a mask! Trust me it works! Do not let the media fool you. Protect others by protecting yourself. Do not be careless and always think of others around you. These small steps help to contain the spread. The COVID-19 disease is no joke, I have had my share of patients come in where they are working so hard to catch their breath because they simply cannot. While you yourself are healthy, someone around you might not be so lucky. I see it like the butterfly effect; if everyone takes these small steps to protect themselves and the people around you, it will lower the infection rate and keep the vulnerable safe. And as a healthcare professional, I see it in my own hospital and it is working. We can do it!
 
Question: With your busy schedule are you still able to play golf and if so, what is your home course?
 
Answer: I wish I was able to play as often as I like, it is usually limited to a golf range session or 9 holes. Whenever I go home to visit my family in Dallas, I will play with my dad and brother (whom I initially shared by love for the game with). We will play at the local golf clubs in Dallas, my favorite being my home course Riverchase Golf Course, which is where I played for nearly 8 years while growing in the game of golf.
 
Question: Any shout-outs to former teammates, professors or others at TAMIU?
 
Answer: Coach Rudy (Rudz) Gonzalez and Will (Willy) Wurth - y'all are the best! These two dealt with me in every aspect, from letting me leave practice early to go study for a huge exam, to opening up the range in the back of the country club in the afternoons after my clinicals for range time since that was the only time I could practice. Thanks for listening to my rants and dealing with my stress during nursing school, as well as helping me develop my golf game and become a better player. It wasn't easy, but thank you for always supporting my goals as a then-student nurse and as your golf player. A student athlete would be lucky to be coached by y'all.
 
To every professor I had during nursing school: Ms. Haber, Ms. Michelangeli, Mr. Wise, Ms. Herandez (just to name a few). Thanks for always working with me & being understanding; from missing lectures, making up skills check offs, to coming in late at night to help me review. It takes a lot to work with a student athlete and you all encouraged the balance between my athletics and studies. Thank you!
 
To some of my former roommates/golf teammates, Stephanie Gonzalez, Sasha Linauskas, Bailey McCawley, Travis Smith, y'all were (and still are) amazing golf players, teammates & friends. Thanks for sharing memories at the Max and Laredo Country Club, and for supporting me through my hectic nursing school semesters. Those talks and walks down the fairways are truly missed. Love you all!
 
What They Are Saying ….
Former TAMIU golfer Sasha Linauskas on having Hannah as a teammate and roommate:
"Being Hannah's teammate and roommate for many years, I watched her dedicate so much time and hard work towards her nursing degree. She made many sacrifices to be successful both in golf and in school, and it is amazing to see that so many of those stressful days have paid off. Being a nurse during these times must be incredibly hard, but I know with Hannah's mental toughness she is perfect for being on our front lines."
 
TAMIU Clinical Assistant Professor Rita Haber:
"Hannah was a dedicated, outstanding student nurse who always had a warm smile that was contagious. She exhibited the attributes that you would like to see in a nurse: knowledge, empathy and compassion. I feel confident that the future of nursing is in great hands with Hannah Jiao as a licensed professional registered nurse."