Called to Be: Access & Excellence

Honoring one life by transforming others

 December 7, 2020

Named for an accomplished, selfless young alumna who passed away at the age of 25 from leukemia, the Erin Leigh Boyle Memorial Endowed Award Fund at Georgetown was established by her family to provide fellowships to health care professionals devoted to working in underserved communities. Her legacy has become more important than ever in 2020 as the pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on vulnerable populations.

Erin Leigh Boyle (MS’13), who passed away young after a courageous battle with leukemia, is remembered for her caring nature and tireless energy. The fellowship established by her family supports health care workers who plan to serve vulnerable groups.

The youngest of three daughters, Erin was always a bright and creative girl. “She was two steps ahead of you mentally,” remarks her dad. She put her energy and passion into everything she did, from academics to her social life. Despite facing health issues in her childhood, she went on to graduate magna cum laude from the University of Florida.

Her caring nature and experience as a patient steered her to a profession in health care. She fell in love with Georgetown’s campus when she came to visit, and decided to pursue graduate studies at the School of Nursing & Health Studies (NHS). She finished graduate school with honors and transitioned to a career working at a company helping to implement the Affordable Care Act.

Then, at age 25, she was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Though she underwent two stem cell transplants and several rounds of chemotherapy at the National Institutes of Health, the cancer continued to spread aggressively, and she went home to spend her last remaining days with her family.

Her father recalls, “Erin was facing her mortality and thinking about her legacy. She came up with the idea. We don’t see [this fund] as a memorial.” With the help of one of Boyle’s Georgetown professors, the family set up the foundation; the NHS’s Committee on Mission and Values within NHS selects the recipients. “The fellows feel like they know Erin in some way,” her father adds. He believes that she would be very happy with what the foundation has been able to accomplish. The scope of work for the first five fellows ranges from midwifery to substance use disorders, oncology, intensive care, emergency care, and pulmonology.

Erin Leigh Boyle’s spirit and heart for service continues to live through her family and friends, but also through the talented group of fellows. Her father reflects, “You learn more from your children than you teach them. What Erin taught me is the ‘never going to quit’ attitude.”