In Memoriam: Kyle Krepistman, MSN'14

“I think we’re from the same tribe.” This is often how Kyle Krepistman would welcome others into his life.

“He had this capacity to truly see and hear people,” said Barbara Demman, a lecturer at the School. The 32-year-old, Orange County native drew people in with his warmth and open heart. His academic path took him to Cal State Dominguez Hills, where he earned his undergraduate degree.

From there, he headed to UCLA as a Masters Entry Clinical Nurse student (MECN), and then to Cal State Long Beach garnering an Advanced Practice Nursing degree with a neurology specialization.

Kyle Krepistman 1987 - 2019

It was through the MECN program that Kyle met Demman, one of his professors. Post-graduation, he would guest lecture in Demman’s class. “He became a role model for students,” Demman says, “with his encouraging words of, ‘this is where you can be in four years.’”

What Kyle was referring to was his post-education journey. After completing his education, he was hired by Kaiser Downey as an Acute Care Nurse Practitioner/Stroke Coordinator in the neurology department. “He was a pioneer there,” Demman says. Indeed, Kyle’s work at Kaiser Downey saw him earning the International Stroke Conference Award of Excellence.

Supporting nurses was another driving force for Kyle. “He strived to speak for the unspoken,” Demman says. “As an advocate and change agent, it was appealing to him to implement protocols that would help a lot of people.”

Kyle also “paid it forward” as a mentor, especially to nursing students coming up the ranks. This is one impetus behind the Kyle Krepistman MECN Excellence Scholarship in Nursing. The scholarship benefits a second-year MECN student with a goal of decreasing financial burden. “It was very important to Kyle to always reflect, be present, learn and grow,” Demman says. “This scholarship opens the door for that.” And invites yet another member into Kyle’s tribe.

To support the Kyle Krepistman MECN Excellence Scholarship in Nursing, please visit giving.ucla.edu/Krepistman or contact Jonathan Adrias at jadrias@sonnet.ucla.edu or (310) 983-1140.