For Joshua Alexeyenko and Veranica Alexeyenko, both expected BSN ‘26, nursing education has never been an individual journey.
It has been something they have built together as husband and wife, study partners, future health care workers, and members of a family where health care is part of everyday life.
Joshua’s father, Robert “Bob” Jackson, BSN, DNP-FNP, helped set that example.
After serving in the United States Marine Corps and building a career in marketing, public relations and corporate communications, Jackson made a life-changing decision. When his father was hospitalized with a life-ending condition in 2008, he left his career behind and returned to school, choosing to dedicate the next chapter of his life to caring for others.
That decision eventually led him to Washington State University College of Nursing, where he earned his Bachelor of Science in Nursing and, in 2025, completed his Doctor of Nursing Practice-Family Nurse Practitioner degree.
Speaking at the spring 2026 WSU College of Nursing Celebration of Giving, Jackson reflected on the deeper meaning of the profession.
“Nursing is a job, yes. But it’s more than that,” Jackson said. “Nobody wants to be a patient. Even the simplest acts of care can protect a patient’s life and dignity.”
For Joshua Alexeyenko, his father’s path made nursing feel close, real, and possible.
“My father’s journey toward becoming a nurse practitioner has affected all of us in a lot of ways,” Joshua said. “Without him, many of us wouldn’t have pursued medicine. His encouragement helped us get through this program.”
Joshua Alexeyenko did not originally plan to become a nurse. He had considered physician assistant school, but years of working alongside nurses changed his direction. He saw the work they did, admired it, and realized he wanted to be part of it.
He also wanted to stay connected to Spokane.
“I grew up here,” Joshua said. “I love this city, and I wanted to be part of Spokane’s story going forward. WSU nursing, given that their mission is for this area, I wanted to be part of that same mission, so I could serve the people of Spokane.”
Veranica Alexeyenko came to nursing through her own process of reflection. She knew she wanted to work in health care, but her initial path in the pharmacy track no longer felt like the right fit. Nursing offered something more personal.
“I realized it combined my interest in health science with my desire to serve and care for others,” Veranica said. “Since joining the WSU nursing program, I’ve felt affirmed every step of the way that it is the right path for me.”
Her long-term goal is to become a nurse midwife, providing compassionate, patient-centered care during some of the most meaningful moments in women’s lives.
For Veranica Alexeyenko, the journey also carries family meaning. Her family immigrated from Ukraine, and she said her parents had once dreamed of careers in health care. Now, through nursing, she hopes to honor their sacrifices and serve as a trusted resource for her family and community.
Together, Joshua and Veranica have found support in each other and in the WSU College of Nursing.
“Going to nursing school with my husband has been a dream come true,” Veranica said. “I would not be where I am without him.”
Joshua agreed, adding that the experience has given them shared memories and a shared purpose.
“We’re not living separate lives,” he said. “We’re living the same one, and I’m just so thankful for that.”
For a family already shaped by service, resilience, and care, nursing has become more than a career path. It is a way to carry forward a legacy.