Vanguard University

This Jade Kay.

Jade was originally born in Manila, Philippines, where she attended elementary school before her family immigrated to Long Beach, California.

Growing up, she has always had an interest in science because it's a study that has to do with exploring and research. When she was in school, Jade participated in extracurricular activities like the Science Bee, which is similar to a Spelling Bee, in the sense that a panel will ask students science-related questions in competition for a prize.

Jade's Mom, Estrella, who is half Spanish, worked as an elementary school teacher in the Philippines and a Kindergarten teacher when she moved to the United States but now is retired. While her husband, July, Jade's Dad, worked different jobs to help provide for his family but worked primarily as an analyst at Kaiser Permanente helping take x-rays and ultrasound. Education and science have always been a calling for Jade's family.

After graduating from junior high school, Jade would stay local and attend David Starr Jordan High School in Long beach. She looks back describing her time growing up, "I was a total nerd my whole life and always enjoyed reading, participating in science labs and going to class," she continues, "In the Philippines, I was educated in English, so it was not a hard transition." Jade is bilingual and speaks both English and Tagalog. 

Originally, Jade wanted to study Biology and go into Pre - Med where she took prerequisite classes at UCI before transferring to California State Long Beach. During this time, her Dad encouraged Jade to pursue a career as a registered nurse, because her aunt was a nurse who enjoyed her profession. In 1997, Jade graduated with a Bachelor's of Science in Nursing from Cal State Long Beach. Shortly after graduating, she applied to grad school and was accepted into the Masters of Science in Nursing Program at UCLA.  

When she was not in school, Jade worked at Hoag Hospital as a family nurse practitioner. She smiles saying, "I very much enjoy being a nurse because the approach to nursing is very holistic," she continues, " You (nurses) get to spend time with a lot of patients and there are many different kinds of jobs you can do in this field." After graduating from UCLA in 2000, Jade continued teaching nursing classes at West Coast University, which is an Anaheim-based health care program college. 

Jade started dating her now-husband, Med, who is Filipino as well and originally lived in Hawaii. They met in a cover band called South Coast Rhythm, where Jade was the lead singer and Med played the saxophone, it was a pop start-up that covered radio top 40's for private parties. Med proposed at the Blue Bayou Restaurant near the Pirates of Caribbean ride in Disneyland. They have been married for 12 years now. Med and Jade moved to Austin where Jade pursued her doctorate degree at the University of Texas. 

While pursuing further education, Jade experienced seizures that were diagnosed and caused by the lack of sleep due to all her long hours of studying. This inspired her dissertation on sleep quality and perceived stress in older adults. Jade says, "I think nursing is something that you have to want," she continues, " It's a lot of work and the classes are hard but it's very rewarding at the end." Although difficult, Jade enjoyed her education and her experience as an FNP or Family Nurse Practitioner. 

Jade and Med tried to have a baby but God had greater plans in store for her family. They decided to revisit their roots in the Philippines and adopted their daughter, Meryll, who is currently seven years old. After the adoption process, they settled about 30 minutes north of VU, in Westminister where Jade commuted to work at Azusa Pacific University. She was a full-time Professor of Nursing there before moving on. Jade currently lives in a three-generation household with her husband, daughter and both their parents. 

In August 2019, Dr. Tong, whom Jade met when they both were working as a family nurse practitioner suggested for Jade to apply for work at Vanguard. That month, Jade was hired and currently works as an Associate Professor for RN to BSN and Pre-licensure. She teaches both online and on-site classes.

Vanguard University is so thankful for new professors like Jade and the fantastic work she brings to the nursing world.

#WeAreVU