Mia Armey is the first BSN student from Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, to be presented a DAISY Award.

During her pediatric rotation, Mia was nominated by a patient’s family members for her extraordinary kindness and care she gave to their child. She didn't just check vitals or administer medications; she brought light, comfort, and real dignity into the patient environment. The patient’s mother called Mia a “Rockstar” and was impressed with the level of not only clinical skills the student demonstrated, but also the empathy and compassion that she brought into the room.

Later, the patient’s mother talked about how Mia listened to her concerns and responded as if she had “10 years of experience” in pediatrics. Mia provided comfort and compassion to a tearful mom who was incredibly stressed and scared of losing her young son. Within a matter of minutes, Mia had established a rapport with the mother that allowed her to express how scared she was. Mia could have dismissed herself to chart or complete her paperwork, but she didn’t. She stayed in the room and truly listened to this mom, allowing her to feel that not only was her son safe in the care he was receiving, but she was safe, heard, and cared for too.

Before her pediatric clinical rotation, Mia repeatedly said that she did not feel like she was “good with kids”. She was wrong, and she never let her fear or self-doubt get in the way of providing excellent care not only to her patient that day, but also to his family. She exemplifies what it means to lead with a healer’s heart