Ashley
Ashley started college right after high school as a mother of a newborn. She dropped her first set of college courses because she was too overwhelmed and didn’t want to fail. The next semester, Ashley’s father died and she had to drop classes to help her mom.
In 2013, Ashley completed her Associate of Arts degree at Lincoln College. She wanted a career in the medical field and worked on her own to earn her Certified Medical Assistant credentials at Midwest Technical Institute in 2015. Ashley continued to work as a Medical Assistant for the next 5 years. Being a single mom of 3 children, Ashley realized she wasn’t earning a living wage working as a Certified Medical Assistant. Ashley had also put a relationship in front of her own goals and encouraged her significant other as he worked toward becoming a police officer. After numerous times of breaking up with her significant other, Ashley had enough and decided it was time to move on. She enrolled in a Bachelor of Nursing program so that she could provide a better future for her family.
Ashley was accepted into Methodist College eight years after she finished her Associates Degree. Ashley’s first obstacle to completing nursing school was when the financial office called and said she didn’t have enough financial aid to cover her tuition past the first semester. Methodist is a private institution they didn’t offer grants or as many scholarships as other colleges. Ashley began to worry if she would ever achieve her dream. Discouraged, Ashley reached out to her family for advice. Her aunt told her to start school and that God would provide for her. This is when she applied for assistance at Career Link and was approved.
Ashley decided if she was going to be successful in nursing school, her family needed some additional support. Ashley and her 3 kids moved with her mom, who lived in a 2-bedroom apartment, and set up a space in the living room.
Ashley drove from Bloomington to Methodist 2-3 days per week. After classes and clinicals ended each day, her duty as a mother began with cooking, cleaning and helping with her kids’ homework. Ashley remained focused and studied in between classes and late at night, all while working 12-hour shifts, and 3 days per week as a medical assistant.
Ashley struggled to keep up with her studies while working and being a single mom to her children. She reached out to her Career Link Career Planner who encouraged Ashley to utilize her peer tutors and her instructors for assistance. Ashley did just that and was able to get the extra assistance she needed to successfully pass the BSN program at Methodist.
In December 2023, Ashley graduated from Methodist College and passed her NCLEX (State Boards) in March 2024. Her license became effective in June 2024. On April 15, 2024, Ashley began working first shift at OSF St. Francis Hospital in Peoria, Illinois, earning $31.56 per hour on the Surgical Acute floor.