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Release Date: 
Monday, August 20, 2018

How an instructor's kindness helped Dean Susan Shunkwiler graduate on time

Susan Shunkwiler and Vivian Foster

Photo: Dean Susan Shunkwiler, left, and Vivian Foster, who retired from HFC in 1992

Susan Shunkwiler, Dean of the HFC School of Health and Human Services, holds fond memories of the late Vivian Foster, who taught nursing at HFC for more than 22 years.

“I loved her. She was an excellent instructor, one of the best,” said Shunkwiler, a 1980 HFC alumna, who was Susan Tarrant back then. “Vivian Foster was very easy to talk to. She always recognized her former students if she ran into them at the store, which was pretty amazing, since there were so many of us.”

In their final semester at HFC, nursing students must complete clinical rotations at a hospital. For Shunkwiler, there was a complication. She broke her foot ice-skating as the semester began. She knew she couldn’t complete clinicals wearing a cast.

Setting the standard for all to follow

Shunkwiler explained her problem to Foster, who wrapped her ankle and helped Shunkwiler complete her required clinicals. At night after a long shift, Shunkwiler would ice and elevate her foot, then start over again the next day. Though the circumstances were far from ideal, Shunkwiler managed to complete her clinicals and graduate on time.

“That was a lifesaver for me. If it weren't for her, I would’ve graduated a semester late,” recalled Shunkwiler. “I’ll always be in her debt for that. She went above and beyond for me, which is what I make sure our current nursing faculty do for our students. Vivian set the standard that we all follow.”

The heart of a nurse

Foster, a Dearborn resident, died this past June of cancer at Angela Hospice in Livonia, leaving behind her husband, Albert W. Foster, as well as her son, stepchildren, and several grandchildren. She was 83.

In 1955, Foster became a diploma nurse at St. Luke’s Hospital in Marquette. She worked in Lapeer General Hospital until 1961, when she moved with her family to Livonia. In 1969, she earned her graduate degree in nursing at Wayne State University in Detroit after winning a government scholarship.

Upon graduation, she went to work immediately at HFC, where she taught nursing for more than two decades. Many young women benefitted from her wisdom and guidance during her time at HFC, making her a favorite instructor among her students. She retired from HFC in 1992.

Her husband, Albert, shared his reflections on her passing. “She lived a great life. We will miss her good humor, her friendliness, her intellect, and her love. All who knew her were blessed. After you have rightfully grieved her loss, remember to be grateful that she touched your life. I knew her for 42 years, and I was blessed,” he said.

Recently, an HFC scholarship was founded in honor of Vivian Foster. Donations may be made to The Vivian Clark Foster Memorial Nursing Scholarship in care of HFC, 5101 Evergreen Rd., Dearborn, MI 48128.

Postscript

Dean Shunkwiler has now completed her formal education, earning her doctorate from Madonna University in spring 2018! Dean Shunkwiler has "paid it forward" in many ways, by helping countless students find their way to fulfilling careers and lives.