May 11, 2026
Contact: Brian Consiglio, consigliob@missouri.edu
Photo courtesy of Schuyler Podolski
At the University of Missouri, Schuyler Podolski learned to serve both hospital patients and her country.
A soon-to-be graduate of the Sinclair School of Nursing and a public affairs officer in Mizzou’s Army ROTC, Podolski balanced shifts at MU Health Care with leading a group of 40 cadets.
As she prepares for active-duty service in the Army Nurse Corps, Podolski credits the Missouri Method of hands-on learning for her growth as both a clinician and a leader.
Hands-on from the start
The Rochelle, Illinois, native was sold on Mizzou after her first tour.
“The energy was infectious,” Podolski said, crediting members of Mizzou’s Tour Team. “When I received an Army ROTC scholarship to study nursing, I never looked back.”
Her clinical education extended far beyond the classroom. Podolski worked as a milk technician in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and as a nurse assistant at University Hospital, shadowing open-heart surgeries and rotating through the cardiac catheterization lab and post-anesthesia units.
“The opportunities here are insane,” she said. “Those experiences gave me the confidence to enter the medical field.”
Serving those who served
Podolski’s summer internship at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas, offered a preview of her future. Working in an Army Medical Treatment Facility, she treated active-duty soldiers and their families.
“It’s like being in your own world on base,” she said. “I saw more acute heat exhaustion and physical injuries than you’d typically see in a general population.”
Back in Columbia, she completed her practicum at the Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans’ Hospital. The experience solidified her passion for critical care and patient interaction.
“Patient care brings me so much joy because it’s not just about treating their medical diagnosis, it’s also about the small things,” Podolski said. “Bonding with veterans in the VA hospital and understanding things from their perspective was so rewarding.”
Leading the way
As the Army ROTC social media manager, Podolski documented ranger challenges and obstacle courses to connect her battalion with a wider community. While giving parents of cadets the opportunity to see their activities, she honed her own leadership and communication skills.
Her dedication earned her the Hero of the Battle award from the Black Hawk Brigade, a leadership group within Army ROTC that recognizes student cadets who show exceptional performance, professionalism and commitment to excellence.
“In nursing and public affairs, you aren’t always thanked immediately,” she said. “Being seen and appreciated by leaders I admire was a great feeling.”
Paw-sitioned to help
Podolski also led Retrieving Freedom, a service-dog training program.
She fostered and trained Badger, a golden retriever, and labs named Ozzy and Bullet to identify anxiety triggers, open handicap doors and turn on light switches so they could assist veterans and children with autism.
She recalled a heartwarming moment at a local Walmart when a veteran in a wheelchair approached her, inspired by the dog she was training.
"Being that bridge for him and explaining how the program works was a moment I'll never forget," she said. "I saw firsthand how therapeutic these animals are."
The Next Mission
Following commencement, Podolski will commission into the Army Nurse Corps before completing the Basic Officer Leadership Course at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas. She plans to carry the dual lessons of her Mizzou experience with her.
"Nursing taught me empathy, and ROTC taught me to lead," Podolski said. "I want to be the person who asks how someone is truly feeling. That goes further than you think.”
