Abington student veteran turns creativity into impact

ABINGTON, Pa. — Beneath her calm and steady presence, Army veteran Briana McCrae Carr carries a world of purpose. She moves easily between roles — entrepreneur, artist, student and healer — driven by her determination to help others find peace through creativity. 

Carr founded Nourich NeuroArts Neighborhood, a venture that stages pop-up experiences blending art, wellness and neuroscience to promote mental health and healing. She volunteers with Nashville-based CreatiVets, where she recently spent time in a recording studio helping a fellow veteran tell their story by songwriting. 

At Penn State Abington, Carr juggles coursework with the same poise she brought to her military service. She’s exploring the possibilities and limits of artificial intelligence in one class, while collaborating with a faculty mentor on research to study the brain’s response to Asian medicinal practices and art therapy. After graduating in the spring, she plans to earn a master’s in art therapy. 

“My goal is to take the passions and gifts that gave me healing and purpose and share them with others,” said Carr, who majors in art and health humanities. 

With active-duty military parents, Carr grew up and served on Army bases around the world. In Iraq, she was a combat medic, triaging trauma patients and transporting soldiers in need of urgent care. Those experiences, she said, reshaped her life and her definition of strength. 

“I’m proud of my service,” said Carr, who medically retired with the rank of sergeant. “It led me to so many opportunities. It gave me new dreams.” 

Those dreams are already taking shape. For Military Appreciation Week at Penn State, Carr is leading a Nourich NeuroArts workshop at the College of Art and Architecture’s Woskob Family Gallery. Veterans, students and community members will explore creativity as a path to healing as they express their feelings through color, texture and movement. 

For Carr, it’s more than an event. It’s a continuation of her mission to bridge art, science and human connection while honoring her fellow veterans. 

"I’ve learned to make my weaknesses my strengths, and I want other people to travel the same path,” she said. 

Yvonne Love, associate professor of art, said Carr exemplifies the creativity, scholarship and purpose found in Abington students. 

“From, the first time I met Briana, I knew she was an exceptional student and leader. Her depth of thought, sensitivity, and drive to use art, music, and poetry for healing are truly inspiring. As a decorated U.S. Army veteran and dedicated advocate for holistic wellness, she brings integrity, empathy, and purpose to everything she does — both in and beyond the classroom,” Love said. 

Following her medical retirement, Carr returned to the Philadelphia area, where she lived briefly as a child, and worked at a Veterans Administration (VA) mental health center. She explored interests that led her to culinary school, an entrepreneurship program at Georgetown University and an urban farmer certification. 

“Working at the VA made me realize I wasn’t alone in dealing with service and generational trauma, and all of the things I dabbled in connected me to my ultimate purpose,” she said.  

Eventually, Carr decided she wanted to attend Penn State, which was “always her dream school,” and she initially enrolled at World Campus online before transferring to Abington.  

A tile making course taught by Abington faculty at the Moravian Pottery and TileWorks, a working history museum in Bucks County, “cemented that I was on the right path. I never felt like that before,” Carr said. 

“The diversity of people in the class was inspiring. Everyone heard the same prompt but came at it in different ways and then often arrived at the same end,” she said. "I loved how they gave us room to be beginners while giving us constructive criticism."

Another course in museum studies again took students out of the classroom to the renowned Barnes Foundation collection in Philadelphia, an experience Carr called “my ultimate little girl dream.”  

Faculty mentors like Love helped Carr match her drive with her talents. 

“With teachers who empower and support me, I found a refreshing connection at Abington that is leading to more connections,” Carr said. "Yvonne is such a beautiful soul who takes her talents and expertise to reach down and reach up. Every time you talked to her, she suggests possibilities and opportunities.” 

Through courses and experiences such as tile making and museum studies, students engage in the Abington Experience, a roadmap for campus to career success that builds the in-demand skills and confidence proven to increase job offers, salaries and lifelong growth.

About Penn State Abington 

Penn State Abington, home to nearly 3,000 students and minutes from Philadelphia, offers 26 four-year majors and 14 NCAA Division III athletics teams. The Abington Experience launches students from campus to career through internships, leadership development, short-term academic travel, and faculty-led research. Penn State Abington — where the city’s energy meets the best of the suburbs.