Like many students, Samira Beckwith found her life's direction while studying at Ohio State. But unlike most others, it was't just the academic atmosphere that set Beckwith on her path; it was the effect of cancer coursing through her body.

While completing her maste's degree in social work, Beckwith overcame Hodgkin's disease. It was a personal challenge that led to her calling as a champion for those most in need of life's tender mercies

"Her encounters with fellow patients directly influenced her desire to find a way to offer a better life for everyone-a place she could create where dying people would find comfort and dignity," wrote Dianna Barrett, director of alumni relations for the College of Social Work, in her nomination letter.

Today, Beckwith is an advocate for hospice care, serving as a social worker, author, and spokesperson to influence policymakers. She is president and CEO of Hope Hospice in Fort Myers, Fla.

Beckwith began her association with Hope Hospice 17 years ago as executive director. Under her direction, Hope has grown into a multiservice center providing care for more than 2,300 people each day in a 10,000-square-mile area of southwest and central Florida.

Former Florida governor Jeb Bush appointed Beckwith to the state�s Long-Term Care Policy Council, describing her as "visionary in her role as president and CEO of Hope Hospice and passionate about ensuring the highest quality of service." As a member of the council, she focused on providing the most cost-effective, community-based services for Florida's elderly.

On the national level, Beckwith has testified before a U.S. House subcommittee on the need for legislation to enable better care and comfort for those at the end of life. She has served as chair of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, addressing issues related to public policy, education, diversity, quality, and access.

Beckwith's commitment to end-of-life care and compassion has been recognized with a host of awards and honors, including a place in the College of Social Work Alumni Hall of Fame and the 2007 Distinguished Career Award; the Circle of Life Award, presented by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in recognition of her advancement of palliative and end-of-life care and related services; and the Horizon Award from Lee County, Florida, in recognition of her business leadership.

Hope Hospice also has been recognized numerous times as an innovative service provider. In 2005, it was the first agency to receive the ExcelleRx Institute Excellence in Pharmacotherapy Outcomes Award for quality in the delivery of care.

Although Beckwith has been a cancer survivor for more than 30 years, her time as a patient continues to shape her career as a hospice advocate. When one magazine asked Beckwith about her "most hoped-for achievement," her answer was, "For the end of life to be as cherished as the beginning."