A new mom with a young son, Diann Schmitt decided to follow a dream to go to college by taking one course, medical terminology, which led to the rest of her career.
Initially, studying home transcription was the goal but, with the encouragement of her husband, William, she pursued nursing. She became a registered nurse through Trinity Health System School of Nursing in Steubenville.
“It was very challenging, but I just loved every second of it,” Schmitt says. “I loved helping people and figuring out problems.”
While working as a nurse, she heard a coworker was going back to school. Interested in learning more about Franciscan University’s RN to BSN Program, Schmitt drove up to campus. She chatted with Dr. Carolyn Miller, the chair of the Nursing Department. By the end of their conversation, Miller walked her over to Admissions and said, “We want her in our program.”
“I worked full time and went to school full time,” Schmitt says. “I couldn’t have done it without a supportive husband at home. It really took a whole family to do it.”
She earned her bachelor’s degree in 2005 and master’s in 2007. She credits Miller with never hesitating to help her in her higher education journey, as well as the mentorship of the professors in the Family Nurse Practitioner Program.
“As a nontraditional student, I could approach them with everything, whether it was a test question or a tuition issue,” she says, adding that her professors were open to learning from students, too. “When you’re already a licensed nurse, you bring in your experience to share, and they always respected that. It enhanced the classroom setting.”
A Methodist at the time—she converted to Catholicism in 2018—Schmitt valued how Franciscan’s program incorporated faith into the medical field.
“The classes were different,” she says. “It was never about treating just the illness but about caring for the entire body and spirit of the patient.”
Schmitt worked as the executive director for what is now the Ohio Valley Health Center, which provides health care for uninsured and underinsured individuals. When transitioning jobs, she spoke with Miller, who said Franciscan’s Wellness Center was hiring. So, in 2008, Schmitt returned to her alma mater as associate director and family nurse practitioner at the Wellness Center. There, she helped care for the wellbeing of students on campus.
In 2019, she became a professor in the Graduate Nursing Program, combining her nursing experience with her long-held passion for teaching. A lifelong learner herself, she earned her doctorate from Duquesne University in 2023.
“I want my students to be better than me, and I know they can because they’re intelligent, bright, and giving,” she says.
She appreciates being able to discuss life concerns like euthanasia from a faithful perspective. She also finds Franciscan students are eager to learn how to care for patients holistically, infusing kindness and care throughout their treatment.
When not in the classroom, Schmitt enjoys spending time with her four adult children, dancing with her husband, training her two dogs, and planting flowers in her garden. She also continues to volunteer at the Ohio Valley Health Center—and encourages everyone to find some way to serve others.
“Giving back is really fulfilling,” she says. “You have a talent and gift, and you never know when somebody needs what you have to give.”
