By Anastasia Benstead, Asst. Editor-in-Chief
On April 30, to mark the end of their academic careers, the senior nursing students of the University of Detroit Mercy gathered outside the Sturrus parking lot to advocate for equality in healthcare.
“This is the first year we’ve ever done this, and it is directly related to their class,” Sr. Linda Theil, said.
Sr. Linda joins her students in the cause – Photo by Anastasia Benstead
Thiel teaches a class focusing on advocating for groups with limited access to healthcare, which includes, but is not limited to, children, immigrants and persons with chronic illnesses.
The class of ‘26 nursing students gathered during their normal class time with signs and posters they had made in a previous class. They had phrases such as Dignity for All, Honk for Love, Compassion Without Conditions and many more, encouraging staff, students and faculty arriving in the morning to make noise in support of their cause.
Nursing students of UDM gather to raise awareness – Photo by Anastasia Benstead
“I think we are all just excited to be here this morning,” senior Ella Calderwood said. “We have worked all the way up to this moment and we are directly applying what we learned about in class.”
According to the Center of Disease Control, 7.3% of adults in the U.S. did not receive medical care due to cost. That is roughly 18.26 thousand people aged 18 and up in the United States. In 2025, CDC reports also show that 25.7 million people were uninsured. The students gathered with the purpose of demonstrating that healthcare in this country is a privilege that not everyone can afford.
“We are here, and we are fired up,” senior Jill Rau said. “Healthcare, not wealth-care.”
The Saint 