Laure Marino, DNP, APRN, CENP, CNE, FNP-BC

When I entered the DNP– ENL program, I expected to gain knowledge and strengthen my leadership skills. What I did not anticipate was finding a mentor who would fundamentally shape my professional journey. Throughout my doctoral education, Dr. L. Marino has been far more than my support faculty member. She has been a trusted mentor, an unwavering advocate, and a steadfast source of encouragement who consistently believed in my potential, even during times when I questioned myself.

Dr. L. Marino has a remarkable ability to see strengths in others before they fully recognize them. She creates an environment where students feel supported while also being challenged to think more critically, lead more courageously, and pursue excellence with humility and compassion. Her guidance extends well beyond assignments and academic milestones but invests in people and develops leaders.

One of the greatest honors of my professional career has been the opportunity Dr. L. Marino provided me to join the Louise Herrington School of Nursing as a DNP-Executive Nurse Leadership faculty member. This opportunity represented much more than an academic appointment—it was a profound vote of confidence in my leadership and a reflection of her commitment to developing future nurse leaders. Working alongside Dr. L. Marino as both a colleague and mentor has allowed me to witness firsthand the extraordinary leader she is every day.

As faculty, Dr. L. Marino exemplifies the qualities she teaches. She leads with humility, authenticity, integrity, and grace. She approaches every interaction with genuine compassion and an unwavering belief that developing people is one of the greatest responsibilities of leadership, creating opportunities for others to grow, succeed, and discover their own leadership voice.

What makes Dr. L. Marino truly exceptional is her commitment to ensuring that emerging nurse leaders never feel alone in their journey. She understands that leadership can be both rewarding and isolating, and she intentionally creates meaningful relationships that provide encouragement, honest feedback, and psychological safety. Her mentorship is not transactional; it is transformational. She celebrates accomplishments, helps navigate setbacks with wisdom and compassion, and inspires confidence that extends far beyond graduation.

Dr. L. Marino's influence reaches countless patients and communities through the leaders she has mentored. Personally, I would not be the leader, educator, or mentor I am becoming without Dr. L. Marino’s influence. She has challenged me to think more strategically, lead more intentionally, and remain grounded in the values that first called me to nursing. She has modeled what it means to lead with strength and compassion, proving that exceptional leaders elevate others as they climb.

Dr. L. Marino embodies everything the DAISY Faculty Award represents. Her dedication to teaching, her commitment to mentorship, and her unwavering investment in developing future nurse leaders have changed lives—including mine. Her legacy is measured not only by the students she has taught, but by the leaders she has inspired, the careers she has shaped, and the countless patients who will ultimately benefit from her influence through those she has mentored.

It is impossible to fully capture the impact Dr. L. Marino has had on my life and the lives of so many others. What I know with certainty is that nursing is stronger because of her leadership, Baylor University is richer because of her service, and I am profoundly grateful to call her my mentor, colleague, and friend. With immense appreciation, I nominate Dr. L. Marino for the DAISY Faculty Award.