This Veterans Day, the USF College of Nursing proudly recognizes the military veterans and service members who continue to serve others through healthcare. The leadership, resilience, discipline and compassion forged through military service are the same qualities that define exceptional nurses and advanced practice providers.
Meet three remarkable USF College of Nursing students whose journeys from military service to nursing leadership show the powerful connection between service and healthcare.
Burgundi Curry
For Burgundi Curry, MSN, RN, serving in the U.S. Air Force opened the door to a lifelong dream.
After facing barriers to entering nursing school, Curry enlisted in 2009 and worked as an active-duty medic at Robins Air Force Base in Georgia, assisting providers in family health. Four years later, she was selected for the Air Force’s highly competitive Nurse Enlisted Commissioning Program, which allowed her to attend the University of South Florida while remaining on active duty. She earned her BSN from USF and commissioned as a second lieutenant.
During her nearly 17-year military career, Curry served in California, the United Kingdom and Ohio, specializing in pediatrics and post-anesthesia care. She later earned a master’s degree in nursing leadership and is now a student in USF’s DNP Pediatric program.
“USF provided me with an opportunity to continue my education and build a foundation for a career in healthcare,” said Curry. “Having a university that recognizes and supports veterans and military members makes that transition easier.”
Recently accepted into the Air Force Institute of Technology’s Nurse Practitioner program, Curry plans to become a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner while continuing her military service.
John T. Glenny III
For John T. Glenny III, MSN, APRN, AGNP-C, a life of service was inspired long before he ever wore a uniform. Raised on stories of family members who served in conflicts from World War I to Vietnam, Glenny joined the U.S. Army as a combat medic and paratrooper.
Assigned to the 173rd Airborne Brigade and later the 82nd Airborne Division, he found purpose caring for fellow soldiers. The trust placed in him as a medic would shape his future in nursing.
After leaving the military, Glenny faced an uphill academic journey, going from a college student on academic probation to a successful nursing student. Through USF’s V-CARE program for veterans with military medical experience, he found a way to keep serving others through healthcare.
Glenny credits his wife, Theresa. “She was there that first semester when I doubted I could finish. … While I worked two jobs and went to school full time, she held our family together. I wouldn’t be where I am today without her,” said Glenny.
The discipline and calm under pressure he developed in the Army helped him excel in nursing school and emergency and trauma care. Today, Glenny serves veterans through the VA health system and is on track to earn his Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from USF in December 2026.
His message to fellow veterans: asking for help is not weakness. It’s strength.
Yesica De Leon
For Yesica De Leon, a member of the U.S. Air Force and Upper Division student in the Fall 2025 cohort, military service offered the foundation for a future she was determined to build.
De Leon enlisted in 2020 as a young mother raising two children. As an Aerospace Medical Technician, she has worked in pediatrics, immunizations and flight medicine, and served as the noncommissioned officer in charge of a clinic overseeing operations for approximately 2,000 active-duty members. She also supported a Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency recovery mission in Laos, honoring those who never made it home.
Spanish was De Leon’s first language, and she often helped her family communicate during medical appointments. Seeing how difficult healthcare can be to navigate without understanding what is happening inspired her to become a nurse who listens, explains and advocates for her patients.
Through the Air Force’s Nurse Enlisted Commissioning Program, De Leon is pursuing her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at USF while remaining on active duty.
“I do not have to choose between continuing my education and continuing my commitment to service,” said De Leon. “I can grow into a new role while carrying forward the values and experiences that brought me here.”
After graduating, De Leon plans to commission as a Nurse Corps officer and return to the Air Force, with interest in emergency care, flight nursing and advanced practice.
Her message to fellow service members: a new beginning doesn’t erase what you’ve already accomplished. It gives you a foundation to grow even further.