Growing up in a small, rural community in South Dakota, Dr. Rochelle Nolte had big dreams. She also had an unparalleled sense of compassion and drive, and the desire to make a difference, which is what attracted her to Northern State University.

Today, Nolte is at the pinnacle of a highly successful career as a board certified physician. She attributes that life transformation to NSU and the top-notch professors who wouldn’t settle for anything less than her full potential.

“My experiences with the Public Health Service have been beyond anything I ever could have dreamed up for myself. I never could have imagined such a great career,” she said. “I have Northern to thank for that.”

Nolte attended NSU from 1988 to 1992. She was active in 4-H, Brown’s Rifle Corps and ROTC. She was named the ROTC Cadet of the Year for two consecutive years and was awarded the Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal and National Defense Service Medal. Her experiences with ROTC and NSU helped her find her calling in the medical field, and before graduation she knew she wanted to work for the U.S. Public Health Service.

She graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in biology and environmental science. Hoping to work as a physician on the front lines of America’s public health, she applied and was accepted to the esteemed military medical school Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS).

Nolte admits that at first she was intimidated since many of her classmates had graduated from the most prestigious institutions in the nation. But, she said, Northern State University gave her every opportunity to be successful. Northern professors – including Dr. Lynn Hodgson, Dr. Sam Gingrich and many others – provided advice, encouragement and personal attention that increased her confidence level and challenged her to excel in whatever she was doing.

She remembers being required to take classes in a wide variety of disciplines and said that at the time she didn’t realize how they related to her future. She now credits her well-rounded education to the appreciation and passion she has for many subjects, including world history and circuit training, which allowed her to be able to use her sports medicine knowledge to treat patients, as well as join them in the gym.

She also remembers the personal approach that was evident in both the classroom and personal relationships.

“We frequently had small groups taught by full professors in a setting that most students would not get to experience until graduate school,” she says. “The faculty cared about what all of us wanted to do after graduation and helped ensure that all of us were well prepared for what we were about to do next. When I was applying to medical school, I had personal letters of recommendations from the faculty, including the department head, who could honestly say she had known me well for four years. Students from larger universities had standardized form letters, sometimes signed by people they had never met or had as an instructor.”

Nolte officially become a doctor in 1996, completing her post-graduate medical training at Dewitt Army Hospital and Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center. Based on her superior residency performance, Nolte was hand-selected as the outstanding family medicine resident and chief resident. Then, she completed a respected fellowship in sport medicine at USUHS, which fueled her passion for the field.

While focused on continuing her education, Nolte also worked as a member of the disaster medical assistance team (DMAT), a group of professional medical personnel that provide rapid-response medical care or casualty decontamination during a terrorist attack, natural disaster or other national emergencies. Her missions included serving as an emergency responder in two hurricanes, the World Trade Center attacks, the Brentwood Post Office attacks involving airborne anthrax, the Pentagon, the Salt Lake City Olympics, presidential inaugurations and events, and the Kosovar Refugee Crisis.

Nolte’s distinguished service was recognized by the United States military with the PHS Commendation Medal, Special Assignment Award, Presidential Unit Citation, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Crisis Response Service Award and the Army Achievement Medal.

Nolte’s experience also includes serving with the U.S. Coast Guard in various roles. While there, she was named the PHS Clinical Physician of the Year. Now at the Bureau of Prisons in San Diego, California, she plays a critical role in caring for patients with complex medical and psychiatric problems. She continues to practice sports medicine, taking care of recruits at Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego for a few mornings each month.

Today, Nolte has authored 16 publications, has spoken at more than 30 conferences and workshops, and is a member of numerous medical associations. In her spare time, she volunteers as the team physician for the DC Divas Women’s Football Team and enjoys spending time with her family.

Nolte is married with two daughters.