On November 9, 1970, in Loretto Hall, 11 Alverno students took the oath of office and were commissioned as officers in the U.S. Army. One of those students was Chris (Lach) Boetticher ’71, a nursing student.
After graduating the following May, Boetticher and her fellow officers went to Fort Sam in Houston for basic training. Throughout their time together, they never lost their sense of Alverno sisterhood.
“From living in the dorms at Alverno to transitioning to the military, there was a sense of camaraderie. The transition from Alverno to the military was the next step in life,” Boetticher says.
Boetticher was the first person in her family to attend college and enlisted in the Army to pay for her education. Her father had served in the military during World War II and shared his patriotism with the family.
“I felt like I could combine two things that I really wanted to do in life: serve my country and become a nurse,” Boetticher explains.
Boetticher served in Okinawa, Japan, during the Vietnam War. In April 2023, she participated in an Honor Flight, which takes U.S. military veterans to Washington, D.C. for a one-day trip to see their respective war memorials.
The day of her flight began at 1 a.m., when Boetticher and other veterans boarded a bus in The Villages, Fla. and rode to the Orlando Sanford International Airport. Once they landed in D.C., Boetticher and the veterans visited Arlington National Cemetery, the Air Force Memorial, the Washington Monument, the World War II Memorial, the Korean War Memorial and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. The experience was emotional for Boetticher and the other veterans.
On the plane ride home, the veterans were surprised with letters sent by family and friends. When they returned to the American Legion Hall in Florida, they were greeted by hundreds of people thanking them for their service.
“You’re full of emotion from seeing the cemetery, seeing the memorials, receiving letters, and people thanking you for your service everywhere you went,” Boetticher recalls.
Because of her experiences as a first-generation student, Boetticher understands the type of help students need as they pursue their education. That’s part of why she established a named scholarship at Alverno, the Chris Boetticher Scholarship, to support nursing students.
“Now that my son is grown, it is important to me that at this stage in my life, to direct my money to the college that prepared me,” she says.
Through scholarship support Boetticher has demonstrated her dedication to Alverno and belief in the College’s commitment to educate future generations of students. “Alverno has a responsibility to prepare the students they encounter to adapt to today’s world that is always changing. We have to remember to honor and respect one another and foster diversity.”
In retirement, Boetticher’s commitment to service continues. She spends her time volunteering and doing service projects with her church and a women’s veterans’ group in Florida. “I want to continue to go where I’m needed and be able to serve.”
