Haylea Mallia Follows in Her Great-Grandmother’s Nursing Footsteps
When Haylea Mallia looks at an old black-and-white photo of her great-grandmother,
Leota Rickey, something stirs. In the image, Leota is seated in a crisp white uniform,
pen in hand, stethoscope looped around her neck. Her name badge reads: Leota Rickey, Registered Nurse, Surgical–Orthopedics.
“I feel happiness,” Haylea said, gently holding the photo. “It’s inspiring because I always wanted to be able to help people just like she does.”
Now, more than 50 years after Leota graduated from one of Scott Community College’s first nursing cohorts, her great-granddaughter is continuing that legacy. Haylea, a 25-year-old mother, graduated this May with her Associate in Applied Science (AAS) Nursing Degree from Eastern Iowa Community Colleges (EICC).
“It’s a dream come true,” she said. “It’s an honor, and I’m super excited to get out in the field as a nurse.”
A Lineage of Care
For Haylea, nursing runs in the family. In addition to her great-grandmother, her mother, Heather Scranton, holds a Doctorate in Nursing Practice and teaches at Nightingale College. Her younger brother, Jordan, also works as a nurse on a med-surg floor.
Through a quiet chuckle, Haylea adds, “Nursing is in my DNA.”
Leota began her journey at SCC in 1970, earning her LPN, and later returned to receive her associate degree in nursing in 1975—all while raising four daughters.
“She’s a strong woman,” Haylea said. “She was a mom and a student, just like me. It brings me so much comfort to know that I’m graduating from the same college as my great-grandmother, earning the same degree.”
Walking in Her Footsteps
When Haylea enrolled at SCC, she immediately felt a connection to the place.
“Right away, I walked in on campus and was welcomed,” she said. “It felt like home.”
That feeling was reinforced by her instructors and classmates, especially during tough moments in the program.
“There were definitely a few instructors who were super supportive,” she said. “And my classmates—I have a dear friend I’ve been through the program with the whole time. It feels full circle that we’re graduating together.”
Throughout her time in the nursing program, Haylea was heavily involved. She participated in TRIO Student Support Services, served as a tutor in the SCC Tutoring Center helping students in courses like anatomy and physiology, and joined the SCC Nursing Club. She also worked part-time at a local flower shop to support herself and her daughter, Lily.
“It was really rough,” she said, reflecting on her first year and a half in the program. “I was doing a lot of it on my own and had a toddler. I had been a stay-at-home mom for a long time, so it was a big adjustment for both of us. But everything I’m doing is for myself and for my daughter. She’s my biggest inspiration.”
Becoming the Nurse She Dreamed Of
Haylea completed the majority of her clinical hours at MercyOne Genesis East in Davenport. She credits the hands-on learning with preparing her to take the next step.
“One of the most impactful experiences was our postpartum hemorrhage simulation in the OB unit,” she said. “I remember thinking, ‘I want to be the charge nurse. I want to be the one delivering the baby, keeping everyone calm, thinking critically.’ That moment gave me so much excitement.”
While OB first drew her into nursing, Haylea is keeping her options open. She’s interested in pediatrics, emergency medicine, and women’s health.
“I want to make a difference,” she said. “I want to advocate for women and children.”
That sense of advocacy, she said, was deeply instilled during her time at EICC.
“A teacher once told me, ‘What if this person was your family member?’ And that really stuck with me. As nurses, we’re here to advocate for our patients.”
The Next Chapter
Haylea’s future plans include sitting for the NCLEX exam this summer and enrolling in the online Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program at Nightingale College, where her mother teaches. She will be relocating to Las Vegas to be closer to her family and focus on her education.
She hopes one day her daughter might follow in her footsteps, just as she did her great-grandmother’s.
When asked what advice she’d give future nursing students, Haylea didn’t hesitate: “Just go for it. If you’re caring and compassionate, you’re going to make a great nurse.”
And when she looks at the photo of herself in scrubs—stethoscope draped around her neck, standing proudly beside a simulation mannequin in Scott’s lab—Haylea beams with joy.
“I’m excited, proud, and just ready to make an impact on nursing,” she said.
She isn’t just continuing a family tradition. She’s adding a new chapter to the story her great-grandmother began and passing that legacy forward. One patient at a time.