When TFS Alumni Allison Becker was small, she described herself as incredibly shy. But by the time she reached her eighth grade year at TFS, she was singing in front of the entire school at weekly Mass and participating in The Wizard of Oz and Charlotte’s Web plays. This courage built inside of her and she took a year traveling and living in Argentina before college. “My teachers at TFS impacted me incredibly,” Becker shares. “They believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself.” 

Becker attended TFS from Kindergarten through eighth grade. She believes that TFS helped establish the foundation of her faith and mold her into the woman she is today. Following her time at Cardinal Gibbons High School, Becker took a gap year, which she described as the best decision she ever made. She immersed herself into a culture that was unfamiliar to her, making lifelong friends and seeing new places. “Those experiences made me a stronger and tougher person,” says Becker.

After a year of traveling and growing, Becker attended East Carolina University where she received her Bachelor of Science degree in Registered Nursing. When she was younger, Becker’s experience of watching her grandfather die of Polio ignited in her a passion to help others who were suffering or hurting have a better quality of life. She decided then that she wanted to be an advocate for patients and their families. Becker shares, “I now have the opportunity to change someone’s life every day, even in a small way.”

Becker started her career in the ICU at UNC Rex Hospital in Raleigh, but she is now a nurse in the General Surgery/Trauma Stepdown Unit at Duke University in Durham. “I love my job!” Becker enthusiastically shares. As she passes Duke Children’s Hospital each day she goes to work, she also remembers when she was in first grade at TFS and her class sang Christmas carols to the children in the hospital.

During her time at TFS, one of Becker’s favorite memories was Field Day, a time when her classmates got to just have fun and work together in a small group. She even got to throw the ball that would plunge the principal into the dunk tank. Becker took part in the theatre plays, which pushed her past her comfort zones even further. Those positive experiences she had in the TFS theatre program encouraged her to attend theatre classes at Cardinal Gibbons. 

Reflecting back on those who she remembers the most at TFS, Becker tells us that “There were so many faculty who made an impact on me, including Mrs. Lyles, Mrs. Wacenske, Mrs. Giannini, and Mrs. Moser.”

Becker’s time at TFS placed foundational faith anchors in her life. The experiences and people around her gave her courage and confidence as she stepped out into the big world, making her own impact on those she encounters each day. She wants to share with current TFS students that “People care if you’re nice, you don’t need to be popular. Be yourself and find what makes you happy.”