Bailee Hubbard – Graduate Spotlight

Bailee Hubbard reflects on her time at the MU Sinclair School of Nursing and in the Air Force ROTC, looks forward to beginning active duty military career at Keesler Air Force Base in Mississippi.


Bailee Hubbard poses in commencement regalia in front of Jesse Hall, Columns.

My name is Bailee Hubbard, and I am graduating from the Sinclair School of Nursing’s traditional Bachelor of Science Nursing Program in May 2023. After graduation, I will commission as an active-duty officer in the United States Air Force and start as a Medical Surgical Nurse at Keesler Air Force Base, Biloxi, Mississippi.

When I was in high school, I realized I wanted to be a part of something bigger than myself. Near the beginning of my senior year, I knew I wanted to join the military. I began researching how to accomplish my dream and where I could attend a school that would check off both my desire to serve and graduate with a bachelor’s degree. In August of my senior year, I visited the University of Missouri and Crowder Hall, home to all Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) branches here at Mizzou.

I immediately fell in love with the school and applied to Mizzou and the Air Force ROTC program. My grandfather, a retired technical sergeant in the United States Air Force (USAF), inspired me and fueled my desire to serve in the USAF. Once I chose Mizzou, I realized I needed to select a major. Throughout high school, I not only discovered my desire to be a nurse through classes like anatomy and physiology but also through my volunteer work at a local nursing home. I then knew I wanted to be a part of a group of people striving for the same goal: caring for people.

Once at Mizzou, I knew my hard work was just beginning. Not only did I have to perform well in Air Force ROTC to earn the opportunity to stay in a competitive program, but I also needed to maintain good grades to soon apply to the Sinclair School of Nursing. After two years of prerequisites, hard work, and dedication, I was admitted into the August 2021 Fall Nursing Student Cohort. I was honored to have earned the opportunity to be in this highly accredited program and proud of my accomplishment while still maintaining good standing in Air Force ROTC.

Now that I am about to graduate, I can reflect on all I have learned and achieved and say that I am so thankful for the opportunities both the Sinclair School of Nursing and Air Force ROTC have given me. I am fully equipped to become a nurse in the United States Air Force and cannot wait to embark on this new journey. Throughout my past four years, I had incredible support systems from both programs, and from my loving family and friends.

After graduation, I will attend a Nursing Transition Program in Scottsdale, Arizona, for about two months. I will then move to Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi, where I will begin on a Medical Surgical Floor. My husband Eric and I will start our military careers together in Biloxi. Wherever my military career takes me, I will always remember everything I have learned throughout my four years at Mizzou and the Sinclair School of Nursing Program. Who knows, maybe I will end up back here to achieve my master’s degree in a few short years!

– Bailee Hubbard


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