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For the last three years, Joshua Hargrove has been one of the leaders on the LaGrange College lacrosse team. Off the field, he’s been working hard in the classroom to earn a nursing degree that has led him to a job as a registered nurse in the acquired brain injury unit at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta.

As he prepares to graduate Saturday, Hargrove is thankful his time at LaGrange College provided plenty of fun experiences but also prepared him for his upcoming career, where he’ll be able to help patients overcome a brain injury through rehabilitation.

“I feel good about graduating. I’m excited to start my job come June and go into the working world. I feel a little sad, but it’s a long time coming,” said Hargrove, who plans to put his bachelor of science in nursing degree to good use.

Originally from Dallas, Texas, Hargrove said LaGrange College’s lacrosse team and nursing program brought him to the school.

“My family has lived between Georgia and Dallas for a while, and I’ve got some friends on the lacrosse team, so it was an easy move to make,” Hargrove said.

As his time at LaGrange College comes to an end, Hargrove said he will miss being a part of the athletics apartment.

“I’ll miss being around all the guys on the team, and I think that side college really helped me balance out schoolwork and whenever I got tired of studying for nursing and everything. Always having practice or the guys to go hang out with is something I will probably miss the most,” Hargrove said.

Hargrove transferred to LaGrange College during his sophomore year and played on the team for three years.

“I’ve been a captain for three years, two years on the team, and it’s been a fantastic experience. I wouldn’t trade the experience for the world,”

He’s thankful for the strong nursing instruction he received from the college that led him to his career. 

“The nursing department helped prepared me very well. Anytime I had any questions or concerns their doors were always open. The faculty and staff in the nursing department made me feel like I was able to really understand what we were being taught so that I was prepared for my clinicals and eventually my job now at the Shepherd Center,” Hargrove said. 

Hargrove said he didn’t think he’d be interested in brain injuries before taking the job.

“When I did my clinicals at Sheppard, I wanted the experience to see if I liked it because I knew I want to go into critical care or emergency nursing. But when I got to the Shepherd Center, I fell in love with the patient population and the team on the brain injury floor,” Hargrove said.

“Being in the rehab side of nursing really allows you to connect with your patients, which is something that I found was important and why I chose to stay and accepted the job offer on that floor.”