Following her inspiration has led Libby native Emma Gruber into a career with the U.S. Army.

It wasn't necessarily a path she considered at first, but Gruber recently received her commission as a Second Lieutenant in the Army where she will serve as a nurse.

The recent Gonzaga University graduate discussed some of her motivations and challenges during an interview with The Western News.

Born and raised in Libby, the only child of Jeff and Doreen Gruber, Emma competed in sports throughout high school. Whether competing in volleyball, basketball or track, Gruber stayed involved. She was also the student class president and graduated as valedictorian.

"Ever since I was in middle school, I knew I wanted to do something in the medical field," Gruber said.

Gruber thought nursing would be a good fit and that she could help people.

"In high school, I did an internship with the community health center. I was able to see I would enjoy being a nurse," she said.

Additionally, Gruber was given the opportunity to do a job shadow in the local hospital during a surgery her mom underwent.

"They had to give me some paperwork and obviously I couldn't do anything, but it was really cool," Gruber said.

After attending Gonzaga University's School of Nursing, Gruber saw the nursing world change during the Covid-19 pandemic. During her first year, the pandemic hit and the school was reorganized in the spring to facilitate remote learning.

"It was pretty early in my school, so I wasn't working in the hospitals," Gruber said.

Still, it impacted her schooling because learning was online. After things calmed down, and Gruber had done enough schooling to participate in clinical – a practice where nursing students get experience in hospitals – the hospital atmosphere had changed, she said.

"There were less nurses and more patients and so it definitely showed me that it wasn't going to be an incredibly easy profession after the pandemic," she said. "I think it made me more excited to do it because of how necessary nurses were."

Rising to a different challenge, Gruber found herself interested in the Army Reserve Officer Training Corps program offered by Gonzaga.

Although she hadn't previously considered the military, she found out that through the ROTC program she could have her tuition paid for. Ultimately it leads into becoming a commissioned officer after graduation.

While at Gonzaga, she trained physically and performed tactical exercises, among other things, to prepare for the Army. This allowed Gruber to graduate without any student loans.

"In the end, you have an evaluation, and after my senior year, I was commissioned into the Army," she said.

Gruber has yet to learn where she is stationed but will be enlisted as a nurse. Currently, her preferences are Germany and Hawaii.

"They're definitely opposite sides of the world, but it's something different, and I'm excited to travel and go somewhere new," she said.

Gruber's family is still in Libby and she would like to come back someday, but she wants to travel and see things while she is young. Her advice to the next generation is to be as involved as possible and it helps to stay active in school.

"Get ready for your future, no matter what that is. It's gonna come a lot faster than you think, so it's good to plan ahead and start thinking about what you want to do. And just savor the moment because it goes by really fast," Gruber said.