Where are they Now? Michelle Gilbreath

Editor’s note: This feature is dedicated to profiling Van Horn High School Alumni and updating locals on what became of them after graduation.  The Advocate welcomes information for publication on VHHS Alumni and will try to highlight two Van Horn Eagles every week.

I have had an amazing opportunity since having the privilege of growing up in Van Horn to explore an amazing career and the world.

I graduated fro Van Horn High in 1983 and proceeded to college at South Plains College in Levelland, Texas. While there I had the privilege to experience college life and even got to be a missionary in New York City summer of 1984. Then I proceeded to Nursing School in Lubbock Texas for 2 years at Methodist Hospital School of Nursing graduating in 1987 with my RN diploma. I then lived in Galveston and Houston for a year and was an ICU RN and had the privilege to work with the grandfather of open-heart surgery Dr. Cooley for a stint. I have since then lived in AZ and all over the state of Texas literally. I had the privilege of being back in Van Horn and working at the hospital there and being the school Nurse for some time and working in public health and home health also. I have been an ER Nurse for the last number of years even had the opportunity to be a flight nurse for a time. Flying in a medivac helicopter and caring for the most critical patients and taking them to higher levels of care. I have also been a travel nurse and lived by the ocean. I am currently an ER nurse and have obtained my certified emergency nurse certificate. I have been an RN for 29 years and have lived all of my Nursing experiences. I believe it is a calling not a job and a privilege to care for people during their most desperate times of their lives. I have experienced the cruelty of humanity at its worst and the beauty of humanity at its best. I am honored to have the privilege to be a Nurse.

During this career I have raised to beautiful young ladies and about to be a grandmother. This has been one of my greatest joys and accomplishments to raise two beautiful, caring and hard working young ladies. They are the light of my Life!

I have traveled all over the world since leaving my hometown. I had the privilege in the last year to travel solo to Greece and then to Fiji and got to share with my oldest daughter going to Aruba !! I have been to Yellowstone and hiked with my 80-year-old Mother and my sweet sister this past summer.

Growing up in Van Horn was a privilege because we did not have class distinction everyone was poor and we didn’t even know that we were poor because we had each other and an abundance of experiences that shaped me into the person I am today. I am grateful for having grown up in this small West Texas town in the middle of nowhere!

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