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Mary Grace Cassady

@marycassady7

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@brandonr._
GCU ‘26
IES-Dublin ‘23

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so bittersweet 🥹

thank you to all the coaches, teammates, and supporters who made these past 4 years that much more special. Im forever grateful for all the memories, friendships, and everything this sport has given me. saying goodbye is so hard, but I wouldn’t trade these past 4 years for anything. 🎾🩵

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Cheers to officially graduating!! 🎓💜

It honestly doesn’t feel real.

Nursing school has been one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, but without a doubt one of the most rewarding. When I came to GCU in 2023, I had absolutely no idea what I wanted to do or who I wanted to be. A few months later, my life completely changed. After having multiple strokes, I was diagnosed with moyamoya, a rare vascular disease, and underwent two brain surgeries.

During some of the hardest moments of my life, I was cared for by nurses and doctors who made such a huge impact on me. They didn’t just take care of me physically, they gave me comfort, hope, and reassurance when I needed it most. Watching the way they cared for me completely changed the way I viewed healthcare. It was during that time that I realized I wanted to become a nurse so I could care for patients the way they cared for me. I wanted to be that source of comfort and support for someone else during one of the hardest times in their life.

Making the switch to nursing was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. It definitely wasn’t easy. There were long nights, tears, stress, self-doubt, and more caffeine than I’d like to admit. But through all of it, I never stopped feeling like this was exactly where I was supposed to be.

To my family, friends, and my boyfriend, thank you for loving me, supporting me, encouraging me, and believing in me even when I didn’t always believe in myself. I truly could not have done this without you.

And now somehow… I’m a nursing school graduate. 🥹

I’ll be starting my career as a nurse resident on an oncology/med-surg/ortho unit, and I am so excited for what’s next.

A younger version of me never would’ve believed this would be my story, but I’m so grateful it is.

NCLEX… here I come!

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A few words to sum up the past four years:

College 🎓, Family and Friends ❤️, Work 🐓, Weddings 🎉, Traveling ✈️, and lots and lots of MUSIC 🎶

Thanks for a great four years…I will miss everyone I have met, and I am excited for this next chapter of my life 💜💛

Sorry, couldn’t tag everyone 🥲

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**I will finish these Ireland blog posts before the end of the summer if it is the last thing I do!!

WRITER’S RETREAT & CLONAKILTY // As a part of my ‘Dublin Writer’s Program,’ my classmates and I were taken on a Writer’s Retreat to the quaint town of Clonakilty in West Cork…and when I say “taken,” I mean that literally. Our program director, Stephen, did not tell us ANYTHING until 5 minutes before we pulled up to our hotel. However, it was the most pleasant surprise, as we started out at a to-scale model railway and village of Clonakilty! Before dinner, we also meandered the town, popping in and out of bookstores and ice cream shops. The next day, @katielockyear , @grace.gruner and I discovered the BEST cafe and cuppa in all of Ireland at Cafe by the Lane. We then traveled to the nearby beach to read poetry by the sea and feel inspired by nature. I also convinced a few of the girls to do one of my beloved polar plunges! To warm our souls, we ate fresh fish and chips at the nearby restaurant. Don’t tell Stephen, but that night we also escaped the hotel and went for a pint at a local pub. Before returning home on Sunday, a few girls went to a cafe and sat with all our creative thoughts from the weekend and did some writing. During the entire weekend, some of my favorite moments include playing Cards Against Humanity with @f.ran.31 and hearing the work of my talented peers during an evening reading.

Originally taken March 24-26, 2023.

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ST PATRICK’S DAY || What better welcome back to Dublin after my midterm break then the ultimate celebration of Ireland: St. Patrick’s Day!! St. Patty’s Eve was spent with the best roommates every, enjoying a pint of Orchard Thieves and playing gut-wrenchingly fun drinking games at one of my favorite pubs on Capel Street. Similar to the joy of Santa Claus on Christmas morning, my friends and I were up bright and early to cheers St. Patrick for banishing all the snakes from Ireland with a mimosa (or two 👀🐍🥂). The day was spent enjoying the St. Patrick’s Day Parade and pub hopping. I had the pleassure of seeing a familiar face from home for dinner, and got to show @bethychernandez the glorious Turkish Kebab House 🤤 After a late evening nap, the gang rallied and we danced our green little green hearts away until early the next morning 💚 Coming into the weekend, I honestly wasn’t excited about St. Patty’s: I was exhausted from assignments, knew the city would be packed, and everything more expensive than usual. But after remembering the opportunity to celebrate St. Patty’s Day IN IRELAND (plus my dad telling me over the phone to “find something to like about it”), this weekend ended up being one of my favorite memories during the entirety of my time abroad.

Originally taken 17 March 2023

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edinburgh night life on disposable
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Edinburgh and Scotland absolutely blew me away. I feel very blessed to have been able to go there during my studies in Dublin, especially since I got to go with such amazing friends <3 It is a stunning country with a rich culture and I completely plan on returning to Scotland on an independent trip to explore further!

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*trying to catch up on posts so get ready for Edinburgh whiplash!!*

SCOTLAND PT.2: SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS & LOCH NESS || On our second day in Scotland, we took a 12-hour bus tour of the Scottish Highlands! The bus featured Scottish music and a narration of the Scottish highland’s history. We passed by many castles—including the Doune Castle from Monty Python and Outlander (see last photo)—and lochs! The Highland scenery was absolutely breathtaking. The tour also took us to Loch Ness, and I went for a little dip with Nessy, the Loch Ness monster. I also was so happy to have my new friend Nursu whom I met at my hostel join us on this adventure! The only downside to the day was that I did not find James Fraser and run away into the mountains with him 🥲

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*trying to catch up on posts so get ready for Edinburgh whiplash!!*

SCOTLAND PT.1: EDINBURGH CITY || At the beginning of February, apartment 13 & friends took a weekend trip to Edinburgh, Scotland! On the first day, I meandered the city on my own, checking out Edinburgh Castle, the Royal Mile, St. Giles Cathedral, and the National Museum of Scotland. I was delightfully surprised to discover that Edinburgh is full of gothic architecture, as well as has a strong literary influence! In the evening, some of us got dinner at our favorite European chain restaurant, Nando’s!!, and then gelato followed by a pint…and maybe also a baby Guinness.

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MARSH’S LIBRARY || For the first field trip in my Irish Poetry class, we traveled to Marsh’s Library near St. Patrick’s Cathedral. This library was founded in the early 1700s, and was the first public library in Ireland! It is home to many precious and historic manuscripts, and has hosted famous writers such as Jonathan Swift, Bram Stoker, and James Joyce. After chatting with the librarians about their stories of supernatural experiences at the library, my classmates and I can confirm that Marsh’s is haunted!!

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Unexplainable photos from the last few weeks 🤷🏼‍♀️

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SILENT DISCO || To celebrate a successful first week of class, me, some of my roommates, and friends went to the infamous Whelan’s live music venue for a silent disco! I have never heard such passionate and unapologetic singing until The Cranberries started playing. Afterwards, I took the bus home for the first time!

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MALAHIDE CASTLE & GARDENS || On Saturday, I went to the town of Malahide to see it’s 800-year-old castle! The Talbot family were British aristocrats that governed the town of Malahide since 1185. Touring my first Irish castle was a curious experience: the moment I entered, I felt a strong energy that didn’t leave until I left the castle once again!

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