When Maggie Long walks across the stage during MUSC鈥檚 Commencement ceremony, she鈥檒l have traveled farther than across the Pacific Ocean and the continental United States to receive her degree. Hers is a journey of self-actualization 鈥� marked by loss, trauma and, ultimately, triumph.

鈥淢aybe it will hit me that I finally did this,鈥� said Long, 40, who hails from the rural community of Hau鈥檜la on the Hawaiian Island of Oahu. 鈥淲hen I was a child, my grandfather would send me letters in the mail addressed to 鈥楶rofessor Maggie Long鈥� and 鈥楧r. Long.鈥� He would be proud.鈥�

Long鈥檚 fianc茅, children, mom and her aunt and uncle from New York City will be present when she is awarded her Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) in the . But it鈥檚 also people who won鈥檛 be there who have propelled her to the next phase in her life.

Long admits she has not had a traditional path in life. In fact, she said she鈥檚 done things 鈥渋n reverse order,鈥� but she鈥檚 convinced that her life experiences prepared her for her role.

Long, one of six children, explained that she had a difficult childhood marked by instability in the home. Her father struggled with alcoholism, and her parents divorced when she was 11.

鈥淢y mom did her best,鈥� Long said. 鈥淪he had a lot of support from resources that she utilized, but the situation was traumatic. I was shy, quiet and did not have an outlet, and I felt a lot of anger.鈥�

She attended Kamehameha Schools, a private school in Honolulu for Native Hawaiian students and, after graduation, entered Hawaii Pacific University with plans to study agriculture. At 18, she took on more than college coursework. She also became a mother, first of one, and then two, children.

She decided to major in nursing. Midway through her collegiate career, her partner died in a car accident, leaving her a single mother at age 21 with a 3-year-old and a 1-year-old.

鈥淚 wanted to continue in nursing. I had two young children to raise, and I needed stability. Nursing encompasses a lot. We are teachers, educators, and there is a lot of movement in the field, and I wanted to help people.鈥�

After earning her Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2008, she moved to Austin, Texas, where she worked on a cardiology unit at Seton Medical Center and enrolled in a graduate residency program for registered nurses.

Two years later, however, the lure of family, mountains and the ocean led her back to Hawaii. She took a job at Queens Medical Center in Honolulu, the largest hospital system in Hawaii and the only Level 1 Trauma Center.

Life was good. Long settled in and was now a mother of five. She loved her job in the emergency room and, based on her experiences as a triage nurse, she decided to pursue advanced training in psychiatric nursing. She had just been accepted into MUSC鈥檚 online doctoral nursing program.

Then tragedy struck once more.

 

In May of 2021, Long faced the unimaginable when her youngest child, 2-year-old Avani, passed away in a tragic accident. She arrived at the ER just as the medical team was working to save her daughter. But despite their efforts, Avani could not be revived.

鈥淟osing her shattered everything I thought I knew about life,鈥� Long shared. 鈥淚n that moment, I realized I had to pause everything and take care of my own mental and emotional healing. I stepped away from work and deferred my admission to MUSC.鈥�

Four years later, Long said her own loss and the time she spent coming to terms with it has deepened her understanding of her patients鈥� needs.

鈥淎vani is my greatest teacher,鈥� Long said. 鈥淟osing her changed me forever. As painful as it was, her passing became a turning point; it led me to face parts of myself and my past that I had long avoided. In many ways, it was the beginning of a deeper journey of healing.鈥�

Long still had one more important lesson in healing coming her way. In the fall of 2023 鈥� during finals week 鈥� she moved her father into her home to care for him in his final days. That chapter, too, became part of her journey.

鈥淚t brought everything full circle,鈥� she said. 鈥淐aring for my dad gave me the space to forgive him and release old pain. Both experiences 鈥� losing Avani and saying goodbye to my father 鈥� taught me how to meet people where they are, with compassion, at any stage of their lives.鈥�

Long said these experiences have shaped her work in psychiatry, giving her a deeper sense of empathy and allowing her to connect with patients through clinical understanding and lived experience.

Her efforts have not gone unnoticed.

鈥淢aggie has shown incredible resilience,鈥� said , associate professor in the and head of the psychiatric nurse practice program. 鈥淪he is committed to helping families. As a provider, she will bring a high level of care and understanding to her patients.鈥�

, said Long demonstrates a strong foundation in trauma-informed care, grief support and psychotherapeutic modalities. 鈥淪he approaches each clinical encounter with a holistic lens that honors the physical, emotional and spiritual well-being of her patients.鈥�

Long plans to open a practice helping families and individuals of all ages to work through grief and trauma. "I want to help other Native Hawaiians. Our community has endured generations of trauma 鈥� from colonization, loss of land and disruptions to our cultural practices to ongoing systemic inequalities. I want to support others in healing and working through these deep-rooted challenges.鈥�

Reflecting on her own challenges that she has overcome, Long said that, as an adult, she has realized that there really is no normal. 鈥淥ver time, I鈥檝e realized that life isn鈥檛 linear. There鈥檚 a quiet wisdom in learning to dance with life, to surrender to its rhythm as it flows, and to find grace in its ever-changing pulse.鈥�