09/11/2025
“My survival was not a coincidence. It was a calling.”
Long before September 11, 2001, MSK clinical nurse Jocelyn Brooks had been shaped by her mother’s example. From a young age, her mother instilled in her a spirit of care and service to others. That foundation would carry Jocelyn through some of the darkest and most defining moments of her life.
On 9/11, while working as a vice president in finance, Jocelyn escaped the 40th floor of 1 World Trade Center. The smoke, chaos, and fear of that day left an indelible mark. In the years that followed, she felt called to return to the purpose her mother had nurtured in her. Jocelyn went back to school, earned her nursing degree, and began a career that she now knows was her true calling.
Today, Jocelyn is a clinical nurse at MSK, where she cares for patients undergoing stem cell transplantation. She provides not only advanced medical care but also compassion and strength to her patients. "I care for them, hold their hands, listen to their stories, and offer support in what is often the most difficult time in their lives," Jocelyn says.
Jocelyn’s story is one of purpose, service, and healing. Every interaction with her patients carries forward the lessons of both her mother’s influence and her own journey.
“It’s impossible for me to separate my nursing journey from my experience on September 11, 2001. Every time I stand beside a patient, I am reminded of why I survived that day...I know now that my purpose is to serve, to heal, and to offer hope.”
Leave a 💙 for Jocelyn below.
