国产传媒

By Mary Daily

“I am the epitome of a lifelong learner,” says nursing professor Tori Canillas-Dufau ’98 MS, ’01 MS, ’04 MSN, ’24 BSN, EdD, who has earned 31 academic degrees throughout her life. Last summer, she completed her latest—a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Mount Saint Mary’s, her fourth degree from the University. In total, she holds 24 associate degrees, two bachelor’s degrees, four master’s degrees, and a doctorate, with immediate plans for even more. And she is currently working on three additional degrees which she will complete in December 2024 bringing her total to 34 degrees.

Growing up in Los Angeles, Canillas-Dufau was encouraged by her Filipino father and Black mother to pursue higher education — something they had limited opportunities to do. After graduating from Fairfax High School, she enrolled at UCLA as the first in her family to attend college. However, at 17 years old without visible mentors and feeling overwhelmed by the large campus environment, she “struggled academically,” as she recalls.

Her original goal was to become the first Black female athletic trainer for professional men’s teams, studying physical education and kinesiology. However, her dream faded when she learned that women were not readily allowed in male locker rooms at that time. Disappointed and uncertain of her next steps, she decided to empower women in any way she could going forward.

“As long as God continues to bless me with intact cognitive and physical ability, I have no plans of stopping my learning lifelong journey.”

Feeling at a loss for what to do next, she heeded a friend’s suggestion to pursue a career in nursing. She left UCLA and completed the RN program at West Los Angeles College. Although nursing was not her first choice, Canillas-Dufau now considers it a blessing.

In her early nursing career, she spent a year in medical-surgical nursing followed by three years in oncology, working with cancer patients during critical moments. “Sometimes I was with them when they left this world,” she reflects. “That kind of experience changes you, especially when their families can’t be there.” Afterward, she served as a school nurse for a year before transitioning into teaching. Now she enjoys “modeling” for students what she learned from her own experiences in the field.

With nursing came the added benefit of continuing education requirements. In California, registered nurses must complete at least 30 units of continuing education every two years — perfect for someone passionate about learning.

She went on to earn bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Health and Safety Studies from California State University, Los Angeles, in 1984 and 1986. Along the way, she discovered her love for teaching, empowering others through education, and eventually left practice to teach in nursing programs across Los Angeles.

In 1993, Canillas-Dufau began teaching in Mount Saint Mary’s Associate Degree in Nursing program, where she taught for 15 years before transitioning to teaching graduate students. Her first 国产传媒 degree, a Master of Science in Counseling Psychology, came in 1998. “I realized that even before my formal training, I had been using psychological principles in nursing,” she explains. “Once you learn those skills, they become part of every interaction.”

Throughout her career, she has remained committed to empowering women. “What is most rewarding for me is knowing I have impacted not only the lives of my students but future generations through them,” she says.

One of her former students, Joycelyn McDonald ‘05, ’11 MSN, who is now the nursing professional development director for the Kaiser Foundation Hospital Vacaville, credits Canillas-Dufau for shaping her as both a nurse and a person. “Professor Canillas-Dufau helps develop better citizens, not just nurses,” says McDonald. “Her willingness to go above and beyond for her students speaks volumes about her dedication and compassion. She is especially great at finding opportunities that align with her students' interests.”

In 2012, in honor of the 60^th anniversary of the Mount's Department of Nursing, Canillas-Dufau was awarded the Spirit of Nursing Award, a distinction only awarded once in the department’s history.

Her learning journey often involved pursuing multiple degrees simultaneously. In the early 2000s she decided to pursue an MS in Nursing at the Mount. “I was already on campus, so it seemed like a no-brainer,” she recalls. Never mind that she already had a Doctor of Education degree underway at Pepperdine University. She completed the master’s in December 2004 and the doctorate in June 2005.

More recently, Canillas-Dufau became interested in public health, particularly in areas like primary and secondary prevention, which led her to pursue the Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree she completed last summer.

Learning makes her better all around, Canillas-Dufau says. “More tolerant, more compassionate, a better student, better teacher, better wife and better mother.” She has two grown sons, one of whom already has four academic degrees and the other is also a nurse.

At age 64, Canillas-Dufau continues to look ahead, having recently learned that she has been accepted to the Mount’s Master of Arts in Humanities degree program. She will begin working on her fifth degree from the Mount in January 2025. Coincidentally, this will also be her fifth master’s degree and her 35th academic degree. 

In retirement, she plans to pursue a Master of Public Health degree at one of the California State Universities.

With her graying hair framing her warm smile, Canillas-Dufau feels grateful and ecstatic about her life and career. “I could not have planned it any better,” she says. “As long as God continues to bless me with intact cognitive and physical ability, I have no plans of stopping my learning lifelong journey.”