American Heritage Plantation Campus

Ashley Darcy is a 2002 graduate of American Heritage who is currently enrolled in a graduate program at the University of Pennsylvania. Between Heritage graduation and UPenn enrollment, she attended Georgetown University, majoring in nursing and establishing a minor in international health. In 2006, she was awarded a Bachelors of Science Degree in nursing. Ashley was at Georgetown on an athletic scholarship and still pursues her interest in sports. She played on the three Heritage soccer teams that won state championships, 2000-2002, as well as on our track and softball teams.

At the University of Pennsylvania, she is in the process of receiving a MSN/Ph.D. in nursing. Her focus is on neonatology and developmental research of Low Birth Weight infants. Ashley plans to receive her Master’s Degree from PENN in 2009 and a Ph.D. in 2011. She developed an interest in medicine and pediatrics while at Heritage and credits Dr. Laurie and Ms. Gregor who “really helped me hone basic science skills. These skills have really been invaluable in an academic and research setting.”
This hardworking and ambitious young woman is currently a registered nurse in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. The hospital provides high level of care for sick and premature infants. Their patients are medically unstable or critically ill newborns who require complex, multi-system life support, mechanical ventilation and invasive cardiovascular monitoring.

Ashley plans to stay in Philadelphia for at least another 4-5 years to finish her education. After that, she may find her way back to Washington, DC because she “really enjoyed her time in that city.”