Karen A. Daley, who holds master’s and doctoral degrees from BC’s Connell School of Nursing, has overcome personal and professional challenges to become an influential and respected nurse leader. She shares stories of determination and insightful lessons on leadership in her memoir, Overcoming: Stories of Leadership, Resilience, and Action. Daley is a past president of the American Nurses Association. In 1998, she sustained a needlestick injury as a nurse; she later tested positive for HIV and hepatitis C. After this turning point in her career, she became a national advocate for mandating safer medical sharps and was instrumental in the passage of the Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act. The Connell School honored Daley with its Dean Rita P. Kelleher Award in 2017.