JTCC nontraditional nursing student shares rich experiences

Posted on January 25th, 2012

Shawn Fenner

Shawn Fenner
John Tyler Community College

Much like my experiences at John Tyler Community College, my visit to the General Assembly of Virginia as part of the college’s student delegation was equal parts surreal, extremely positive and downright unforgettable.

While I’m not exactly shy (I’ve been told I could hold a conversation with a brick wall), this was a bit of a different animal. After all, my peers and I would be holding conversations with those persons responsible for not only making many of the laws applicable in our state, but with those in charge of making sure that each and every one of us at a Virginia Community College – students, administrators and our world-class professors — has the resources and buildings we need to make the adjustment to the rest of our professional lives.

The goal of the day was actually quite simple: tell our stories to our Delegates and Senators to give them an accurate picture of just who exactly attends Virginia’s Community Colleges in general and John Tyler Community College in particular. In the end, I was extremely impressed with the working knowledge our lawmakers had about the VCCS. Some even said they had a son or daughter who attended one of the colleges.

We each took turns sharing our stories, and much like the six Delegates we interacted with, I found myself extremely interested listening to my peers share their own personal reflections.

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Here’s my story: After 10-plus years on the staff of a large newspaper and media organization in Richmond, I knew I was ready for a new challenge. With a blank slate in front of me, I chose to pursue a profession as a Registered Nurse. Quite a contrast to the previous decade of my life, but being a nurse would allow me to practice one of my life’s passions – helping people – every single day.

The question then became where to attend nursing school. The greater Richmond area is quite rich in its colleges and universities, so I had a tough choice to make. However, after asking several respected nurses where they attended their nursing school, one name kept popping up: John Tyler Community College. I was told about the quality and caring attitude of the instructors. Others spoke of the value of a hands-on education in a clinical setting with working professionals who care about your education.

Fast forward a couple of years to the present, and I’m about four months away from graduating. Going in, about the only thing I expected was to get a quality education and an affordable price. I experienced that…..and a whole lot more.

The diversity in all of my classes has been one of my favorite things about John Tyler. From those fresh out of high school to people like me returning to school, the mix of students truly helped me learn, as everyone had different stories and experiences to share.

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When we were in one Delegate’s office, I took a moment to look around at my fellow students. And that’s when it hit me. Our group that made the 30-minute commute to downtown Richmond was just about a perfect reflection of the students in each of the classes I’ve taken at John Tyler. Some students are fresh out of high school, some are even taking classes while in high school and some (like me) are making a career change after a successful first one.

And that, to me, is the beauty of not just the group that visited the General Assembly, but of John Tyler itself. I’ve learned something from each of the age ranges in my classes, and I am no doubt richer for having experienced that spectrum.

In the end, we all hoped we made a difference by telling our stories and sharing our great experiences at John Tyler. A bonus for the day was being able to simply put a face to the wonderful faculty, administration and students which make up the entire Virginia Community College System.

While I’m working toward graduating this May and securing a position as a Registered Nurse, I can’t help but have a sense of sadness. After graduation, everyone will go their separate ways into the working world. But I also know that we forever be a part of the John Tyler family.