Law Enforcement or Nursing career? Fortunately for Fount H. ’16, “All of the above” was an option.

Who says you can’t have it all? Fount Hankle ‘16 built an amazing career in law enforcement, retired, earned his nursing degree, then started an amazing career in nursing.

That’s when things really got interesting.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) asked Fount to return to work and take a position as a Special Agent. At first, his role was part-time, so his brand-new nursing career—a life-long dream—wasn’t affected. But then, DHS asked him to make the move to a full-time position.

After waiting 25 years, it looked like Fount would have to give up his nursing career just when it was getting started. But where most people would see an obstacle, Fount saw an opportunity – times two.

Fount says he “always had a passion for nursing,” but when he graduated from high school, he just wasn’t financially ready for more school, so he joined the Army. After serving his country, nursing remained a dream that was still a little out of reach. According to Fount, “It was just easier to go into law enforcement after the Army. If I hadn’t gone into law enforcement, I would have been a nurse all along.”

For the next 25 years, Fount served in “lots of different agencies” and says that he “’did it all’ in law enforcement.” He was a police officer for the city of Markham. He was a U.S. Marshall. He worked in the Office of Special Investigations for the Air Force Reserve. He worked undercover during narcotics operations. Finally, he joined DHS where he retired as Special Agent in Charge, Office of the Inspector General.

Throughout his law enforcement career, Fount wondered if he would ever get the opportunity to pursue nursing. “You have responsibilities and the years just slip by,” he explained. “I already had a Master’s degree in Public Administration and a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice and caring for people had been part of my life for as long as I can remember. I just wondered if nursing would be the one dream that never happened for me. When I retired from law enforcement, I saw the opportunity to become a nurse and I took it.”

At the age of 48, Fount began the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program at ResU. After graduating he joined Franciscan St. James Hospital and today he works in the Med/Surg Telemetry Oncology Unit. “I know that I may not be able to cure you, but I can provide the best level of care … I can make a difference. Nursing has been everything I hoped it would be. Best of all, being a nurse gives me incredible flexibility so when I returned to DHS, I was actually able to do both jobs.”

According to Fount, “Law enforcement and nursing aren’t that far apart. You connect with people when they need you most and you help them. My entire career has been all about helping people.”

It seems nursing has become a family affair—Fount’s daughter is a nurse at St. James and his niece is pursuing her nursing degree at Resurrection University. Fount has one piece of advice for anyone at any stage in their career: “Always pursue your dreams. It’s the best move you’ll ever make!”