Graduate Spotlight: Ellie Bowen-Keyes

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Ellie Bowen-Keyes, ‘26, saw the increasing shortage in health care professionals in her hometown of Omaha, Nebraska, and decided to answer the call.

Then a high school junior, Bowen-Keyes enrolled in a course to obtain a Certified Nursing Assistant certificate. From there, she set her sights on becoming a nurse—and on Seattle University.

“One of the top things that drew me to Seattle University was the health care opportunities in the Seattle area,” Bowen-Keyes says. “I knew I would get a really good education from the nursing program and I really liked the holistic, whole person-centered learning.”

And Bowen-Keyes was right. Two years into her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree at SU, Bowen-Keyes was hired as a nurse technician at UW Montlake, an experience that reaffirmed her desire to work in the industry.

"After my first day, I came back to my roommates and said, ‘I love nursing. This is exactly what I want to be doing,’” Bowen-Keyes says. “The small things I’m doing (like) taking patients for a walk, helping them with their food. They are small but meaningful to me and to my patients.”

Learn more about Ellie in this video.

An important element of SU’s holistic nursing education is an emphasis on advocacy, a skill Bowen-Keyes practiced as the elected President of the Traditional Nursing Cohort. In this leadership role, Bowen-Keyes attended monthly curriculum meetings for the College of Nursing and Health Sciences as the representative for the student experience.

“In our classes, they teach us how to advocate for people in a meaningful way—they give us the tools. As president of the cohort, I’ve been tested to practice this skill to get results,” says Bowen-Keyes.

Bowen-Keyes also serves as the Secretary for the Indigenous Student Association at SU. A member of the Wichita and Affiliated Tribes and descendent of the Caddo Nation in Oklahoma, Bowen-Keyes was one of six students who revived the club in 2023.

“It’s about creating a space for native students, a home away from home. We advocate and build awareness about what is going on in our community,” Bowen-Keyes says. “Native Americans are significantly disadvantaged when it comes to our health outcomes and the social determinants of health that are at play.”

In summer 2025, Bowen-Keyes interned at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and researched zoonotic diseases that tribal buffalo ranchers are most at risk for. The end result was an occupational health card that listed the most at-risk diseases for ranchers to present to health care providers and a document to help physicians screen for these specific diseases.

“I love getting to work with Indigenous communities and do research to improve our health outcomes,” Bowen-Keyes says. “Further down the road in my career, I hope to go back to school to get a doctor-nurse practitioner degree or a PhD to continue that research.”

Currently, Bowen-Keyes is finishing her senior practicum at Swedish First Hill on their pediatrics floor. After graduation, she plans to work in a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) or Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) to continue working with kids with the goal of becoming a flight nurse. Flight nurses administer medical care while patients are in air transport, often playing a critical role in emergency and high-pressure situations.

“If a baby needs emergent medical attention not available at a rural community hospital, then a flight nurse team can be sent there to transport the baby to a larger city like Seattle so the kid can get the care they need,” Bowen-Keyes says. “The nurse is making a lot of decisions and holds the responsibility to keep the patient in stable condition, so it requires many years of experience. They’re very knowledgeable people, so I’d love to be up to that level one day.”

Some of Ellie’s Favorites...

Favorite spot on campus?

I love hammocking on the Quad when it’s nice. And I love the fountain.

Favorite coffee shop?

I love Boon Boona’s chai, it’s really good. And the chai latte at Volunteer Park Cafe.

Favorite artist or music genre?

My top three artists are Tame Impala, Childish Gambino and Kali Uchis. They are on every playlist I have.

Favorite memories from SU?

I’ve met a lot of great people—faculty, staff and especially really good lifelong friends. That’s what I’ll remember most when I think about SU, the great people I’ve met.