For Dionna Reed, earning her RN was not a sudden achievement. It was the next step in a plan she was building for more than a decade.
She began working as a certified nursing assistant in 2011. In May, she graduated from EICC’s ADN program and started her nursing career in the orthopedics department at UnityPoint Health – Trinity.
“I always like to say I’m a non-traditional student,” Reed said, adding she already balanced service in the National Guard, motherhood, and a small business she launched in 2016. Going back to college meant fitting classes, clinicals, and studying into a life that was already full.
On the Scott campus, she found an environment that worked with her reality. “I felt very welcome and it just felt like home,” Reed said.
The size of the campus mattered. The familiarity mattered. The mix of ages in her classes mattered. She was not the only student managing work and family. That sense of belonging allowed her to focus on advancing instead of wondering if she fit.
The faculty made an impact. Reed’s instructors brought years of real-world experience into the classroom and remained accessible outside of it. The expectations were high, she said, and the support matched.
Her military experience was also translated into momentum. With guidance from EICC’s Veteran Services office, Reed navigated military education benefits and transferred prior service credits into her program.
That support removed barriers and shortened her path to graduation and a new career.
During her last semester, Reed served as an EICC student content creator for the Scott campus. For her, it was a way to contribute and bring awareness; to let other adults know if she can do it; they can, too.
For students who assume they are too busy, too old, or too far removed from school, Reed stands as proof that progress does not require a perfect timeline. “I am thankful and grateful for my education,” she said.