UW-Oshkosh nursing graduate honors late father’s promise at Commencement

Anelise Hammonds (in cap and gown) celebrates her graduation from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh nursing program surrounded by family at Commencement, holding a cutout of her late father, Douglas "Doug" Hammonds, who died suddenly in 2023. The family gathered at the edge of the stage to honor his promise to be there when she walked across it.

When Anelise Hammonds stepped onto the commencement stage at the 2025 Midyear Commencement at UW-Oshkosh, she carried grief, gratitude and thoughts of a promise her father had made.

Years earlier, her father, Douglas "Doug" Hammonds, had made it clear he would be there the day she graduated from nursing school. He liked to joke that he would be waiting for her on the other side of the stage, yelling her name louder than anyone else.

But Doug Hammonds never got the chance.

Two years ago in late January of 2023, he died suddenly of a pulmonary embolism at age 57, just as Hammonds was preparing to take the Test of Essential Academic Skills, or TEAS, a standardized exam required for admission into nursing programs. The test measures foundational skills in reading, math, science and English, and it can be a significant hurdle for aspiring nurses.

The day after her father passed away, Hammonds sat for the exam.

It was the path he had encouraged, the future he believed in for her, and walking away was never an option. She does not remember much about that day, only that she showed up and kept going.

Somehow, she passed.

Two weeks later, she received her acceptance letter into the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh nursing program.

"He was so excited when I decided I was going to nursing school," Hammonds said. "He was involved in all the first steps of getting me into the program."

The journey that followed was long, demanding and emotional, but on commencement day, the family made sure Dad kept his promise.

A family's plan, a daughter's surprise

Hammonds had no idea what was waiting for her when she walked off the stage.

Her mother, Yvette Hammonds, a UW-Oshkosh alumna who earned her master's degree in business administration in 2005, had quietly asked event staff how close the family could stand near the stage exit. She wanted to be sure they would be there, exactly where her husband had always said he would stand.

As Yvette recounted the story, her voice caught, tears forming. Waiting just beyond the stage were Hammond's sisters and grandparents, who had traveled from Florida and Minnesota, and a large cut-out photo of her dad, laughing, mid-cheer, larger than life.

When Hammonds stepped down from the stage and saw them, the moment landed all at once.

"I was really emotional," she said. "I was already nervous walking across the stage, but when I saw that photo of my dad, it just comforted me. Even though he can't be here, he was there in spirit."

The family shouted her name, waved and celebrated exactly as her dad had promised he would.

That moment did not end at the edge of the stage. It stayed with her as she walked forward.

I am because he was

Hammonds' graduation cap and stole told the story of this journey, too. Her cap featured two photos of her and her father, along with the words: I am because he was.

Her stole, carefully decorated with her photo of her dad feeding her as a mere tot, reflected the journey that brought her there, one shaped by grief, resilience and an unshakable sense of purpose.

The middle daughter of three, Hammonds grew up in Oshkosh in a family deeply connected to education and healthcare. Her oldest sister, Abigail Hammonds, is also a nurse. Her younger sister, Alaina Hammonds, is currently a senior at UW-Oshkosh majoring in advertising, continuing the family's strong connection to the university.

From the beginning, Doug Hammonds saw something in Anelise.

"He always said she needed to be a nurse because she has this huge, caring heart," Yvette Hammonds said.

Hammonds added, "And he always believed I could do it."

Walking forward, carrying him along

After graduation, Hammonds will move to Milwaukee with her partner, Lucas Beres, as she begins the next chapter of her life and career. During her senior year, she worked and completed her clinical experience in the emergency department at Aurora Green Bay. She plans to begin her nursing career in the emergency room or intensive care unit to gain critical care experience, with the long-term goal of advancing her education as a Doctor of Nursing Practice and Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist.

If her dad had been at her commencement in person, Hammonds knows exactly how the day would have unfolded.

"He would have been crying," she said with a small laugh. "I never saw my dad cry. But he always said the one day I would see him cry would be the day I walked across the stage as a nurse."

Instead, she felt him in other ways, through the voices calling her name, through the images on her cap, through the family gathered exactly where he said they would be.

And even without him physically present, Hammonds says she felt her father everywhere.

"I would say to him, 'Thank you, thank you for always believing in me and pushing me, even when I didn't believe in myself," she said, blinking back tears. "He may not have been there physically, but he was there in every way that mattered."

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School of Nursing and Health Professions at UWO