On this International Nurses Day—celebrated each year on Florence Nightingale’s birthday—we’re reminded of the enduring symbol of the nurse as a light in the darkness. Known as “the lady of the lamp,” Nightingale carried a lantern as she walked the halls tending to wounded soldiers, a quiet emblem of hope, courage, and compassion.
This year, that legacy found a powerful echo in the words of WSU College of Nursing BSN graduate Maxwell Pearl ’25, who delivered the student address at Spring Commencement.
In his moving speech, Pearl urged fellow graduates to hold fast to the reason they entered nursing—their “why.” He acknowledged the emotional toll of the journey, describing the program as more “being dragged through the mud” than a polished Instagram-ready moment. But what carries nurses forward, he said, is a shared inner flame: a calling to care, to serve, and to keep giving even when it hurts.
“When the wind blows strong and you feel your fire begin to die, protect it. Shield it,” he said. “Never forget what brought you here… Even when the how becomes too hard to bear, my friend, I promise you if that flame is still alive, there is nothing that can break you.”
Maxwell Pearl ’25 BSN
Pearl’s message is a modern-day lantern—one that lights the path forward for a new generation of CougNurses. On this day honoring nurses around the world, may we all be reminded to protect that flame.
Watch Maxwell’s speech below.
