Class of 2024
Jessica Truong, MSN, ARNP
Jessica was born and raised in Kirkland, Wash. in a loving family of six. She is number three out of four sisters. Jessica’s parents immigrated to Seattle during the Vietnam War and she grew up seeing them work multiple jobs, struggle to learn the English language, and navigate the new culture. She believes it’s an incredible privilege to have an education and be in a position where she can positively influence the health of others.
Jessica has been a volunteer in hospitals, nursing assistant in an adult family home, medical assistant in urgent care, and a nurse at Overlake Hospital for three-and-one-half years. With the experience she has had, she has always had a directional pull toward community health. Her hope is to elevate health outcomes of patient populations with less access to care or those with a lower socioeconomic status. Her ultimate goal is to also diminish the inequalities that currently exist in the health care system.
In Jessica’s spare time, she loves to play basketball, volleyball, hike, eat ice cream, dog sit for friends and family, listen to Taylor Swift, and go razor clamming. She currently lives in Madison Valley, and her favorite restaurants are Shiro’s and Rondo.
Morgan H. Lu, BSN, RN
As a Family Nurse Practitioner, Morgan strives to embody the essence of compassionate and equitable health care for all. With a strong belief in health care as a fundamental human right, she has made it her life's mission to ensure that every individual receives access to quality health care services. Morgan brings a unique perspective to her practice as a third-generation immigrant, combining her cross cultural upbringing with a deep sense of empathy and understanding. Drawing from her experiences, she has advocated for equitable health care, recognizing the intersection of cultural diversity and medical care. With a diverse background that includes working as an RN in both emergency and oncologic medicine, Morgan has developed a deep understanding of the importance of preventive and holistic care. She strives to empower patients to take control of their health and well-being through comprehensive and sustainable practices.
Beyond her clinical expertise, Morgan is passionate about fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion within the health care field. She has spearheaded programs aimed at training health care professionals to embrace and understand the unique needs of diverse populations and the inequities that plague our current systems. Her commitment extends to community outreach, where she has facilitated DEI trainings amongst the general public. Morgan has also served as a member of the statewide information and education committee for reproductive health services in Wyoming, where she has improved access and educational materials for individuals seeking reproductive services. She has also lent her expertise to volunteer efforts at free clinics, reaffirming her desire to work alongside marginalized and underserved populations.
Beyond work, Morgan is married to her husband, Zach, and is originally from the Colorado/Wyoming area. In her free time, she loves trail running, backcountry skiing, mountain biking, and eating delicious food with her family and friends. She also has a black lab named Tucker, who Morgan believes, is the best dog in the world. (He is.)
Sarah Bernhards, DNP, FNP-C
Sarah was born and raised in Virginia in the suburbs outside of Washington, D.C. She is the middle child in a mixed Korean and German American family, and she was fortunate to grow up spending time with her many relatives. Sarah loved fishing in the Potomac River, eating crab legs, and doing karaoke with her cousins at the family gatherings in her grandparents’ home.
After receiving her B.A. in biology and cognitive science from the University of Virginia in 2015, Sarah moved to Seattle, where she found a passion for community health and working with adolescents. Through her work in local school-based health centers, Sarah became invested in preventive health care, sexual health education, reproductive justice, and a commitment to building the strength and resilience of the community. After working with a group of wonderful nurse practitioners in the school-based program, Sarah decided to become a nurse practitioner herself. She has worked as a registered nurse for three years in both primary care and psychiatric care settings, and she graduated with her DNP from Seattle University in June of 2023.
Sarah lives in Seattle, in between Little Saigon and the Franz bread factory. She loves smelling fresh bread and doughnuts from Franz or pho from Pho Bac depending on the way the wind is blowing. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with friends and family, gardening, eating good food, going to Lake Washington for swimming and paddle boarding, and petting the neighborhood cats.
Yoon Jung Chang, DNP, FNP-BC
Yoon was two years old when she and her family immigrated from Korea to Hawaii. Growing up in an immigrant household, challenges with access to health care and resources, paired with language/cultural barriers, low health literacy, and financial burdens, made health care seem more like a luxury than a necessity. This created a passion within Yoon to help others struggling to access and achieve good health.
Yoon has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Washington and has worked in research and other health care positions before becoming a nurse in 2019 from the University of Hawaii. She has worked as a school nurse for children with medical needs and as part of the University of Hawaii’s COVID-19 Response Team during the pandemic. She received her doctorate in nursing practice degree from the University of Hawaii in 2022. Yoon strongly believes in empowering patients through education and preventive medicine. Her DNP project found that delivering culturally appropriate diabetes education classes improved self-efficacy and self-management capabilities in diabetic patients. She hopes to continue to learn more about ways to empower patients and improve health outcomes through participation in the ICHS APP Post Graduate Training program.
Yoon loves to spend time with family and friends. In her spare time, she loves to read, go for scenic walks, listen to podcasts, and sing in the car. You can find her trying new classes that involve dancing and working out such as Zumba and hip hop.
