Tarnia Newton, a faculty member at the University of Arizona College of Nursing and an affiliate faculty member at the College of Health Sciences, bridges academia, advocacy, and art to drive social change. She cultivates authentic learning communities through Photovoice Pop-Ups and narrative storytelling, amplifying student and community voices to share their lived experiences. Most recently, she guided nursing and art students in co-authoring and illustrating “The Nurse I Want to Be,” a children’s book inspiring young minds to become future healthcare heroes.
Tarnia Newton, DNP, FNP-C
These exhibitions revealed the transformative power of student voices to reshape not just gallery walls, but entire conversations about health, migration, and belonging. From boardrooms to shopping malls, from nursing auditoriums to student centers, these young storytellers didn’t just display their work—they changed the very DNA of each space, turning everyday environments into sanctuaries for empathy and understanding. Photovoice narratives became catalysts that proved when students are given the platform to share their truth, they don’t just inform—they transform communities, one conversation at a time.
This wasn’t just an academic exchange; it was a creative revolution that proved healing knows no boundaries.
Dr. DiCindio and students brought the visual language to capture what nursing students knew in their hearts: that health is about more than bodies—it’s about belonging, dignity, and the stories that make us human.
