Dr. Wanda Thruston

NCHS Class of 1977

North Central High School proudly celebrates the induction of Dr. Wanda Thruston into the North Central High School Alumni Hall of Fame, honoring her lifelong commitment to health, education, service, and community.

 

SCHOOL SPIRIT AND LASTING MEMORIES

At North Central, Dr. Thruston found joy as a baton twirler in the marching band, with highlights that included marching in the Indianapolis 500 and Kentucky Derby Parades. One of her most meaningful high school memories, however, was giving the invocation at her graduation.

 Overcoming Obstacles

Dr. Thruston began her education at Grandview Elementary and Westlane Junior High School, where she formed friendships that continued well beyond her years at North Central. Determined to pursue nursing and knowing she thrived in smaller environments, she chose DePauw University over larger schools such as Purdue, where some of her closest friends enrolled. With encouragement from her associate pastor, Dr. Thruston applied to DePauw, where she was admitted to the nursing program. Her training included two years on campus in Greencastle, Indiana, followed by two rigorous years at Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis. As the only African American woman in her class, the experience was often isolating, challenging, and lonely, but she persevered and succeeded.

REALIZING A CHILDHOOD DREAM

From the age of five, Dr. Thruston knew she wanted to be a nurse. She dreamed of providing healthcare in disinvested neighborhoods and serving uninsured and underinsured individuals. She brought that vision to life through a career focused on improving access to care and expanding opportunities for vulnerable families and communities.

After earning her master’s degree from the IU School of Nursing and becoming certified as a pediatric nurse practitioner, Dr. Thruston led pediatric and adolescent healthcare services for the IU School of Nursing–Shalom Health Care Center, located in Broadway United Methodist Church at 29th Street and Fall Creek Boulevard. She later helped open three school-based health clinics and a second community health center in a church at 4th and Delaware in downtown Indianapolis.

One of her most impactful contributions was creating a program for pregnant and parenting teenagers, providing education, support, and parenting resources while helping build a citywide network of care. Recognizing the importance of meeting students where they were, she spent 20 years expanding these services across multiple local high schools, beginning with Northwest High School.

That innovative model eventually grew throughout Indianapolis, including North Central High School, as well as schools in Pike, Warren, IPS, and beyond. Now in its 30th year, it remains the longest-running program of its kind in Indianapolis. After earning her doctorate from the IU School of Nursing, Dr. Thruston moved into teaching and became a professor at the IU School of Nursing.

EXPANDING HER IMPACT NATIONALLY

Following her tenure at the IU School of Nursing, Dr. Thruston’s leadership expanded nationally when she became Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, where she helps strengthen diversity and opportunity across the nursing workforce. Today, her work focuses on helping nursing schools rethink admissions and support systems to help all students, especially those facing the greatest challenges, thrive and succeed in the nursing profession. In 2025, Dr. Thruston was named Indiana’s Top Nurse of Influence by the Indiana Nurses Association and Indiana Nurses Foundation and was inducted as a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing, one of the profession’s highest honors. This summer, a nursing textbook featuring a chapter by Dr. Thruston on communicating with diverse populations will be published. She is also leading the development of a national framework for excellence and equity in nursing education.

Staying True to her Roots

Dr. Thruston has lived in Washington Township for nearly 60 years. She also served three terms on the Washington Township School Board, extending her lifelong commitment to education and community service. She is the mother of five children, all of whom graduated from North Central High School, and two of her seven grandchildren now attend Crooked Creek.

Education has long been central to the Thruston family. Her mother was the first African American teacher at Crooked Creek Elementary, where she taught for 28 years. Her father served as PTO president at Grandview, and this year her sister is retiring after 47 years of teaching in Washington Township.

From student to parent, community leader, and grandparent, Dr. Thruston’s enduring connection to Washington Township Schools reflects a lasting family legacy and a deep belief in the power of education to transform lives.

________

Looking for ways you can support North Central High School and Washington Township Schools? Donate today and help our foundation support programs to enhance the educational experience for our students and provide resources for MSDWT teachers and staff.