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JACKSON – Nursing school can present quite the challenge for the even the most determined of supermoms.

“When I started nursing school, I thought that it was going to be a walk in the park,” said Kyla Tyler, of Jackson, a mother of five who had degrees in biology and seminary who said she was used to being a “super wife and mom.”

Kyla Tyler

By her third semester, life’s challenges and the demanding coursework began to take a toll on her as she managed an already busy work schedule in the medical field. “My grandmother who was 86 at the time came to stay with me.  I was concerned about her health and many other things. I began to sink, withdrew from my third semester and thought I’d never be a nurse.”

She enrolled in Learning to Learn, a summertime program for students at the Jackson Campus-Nursing/Allied Health Center in need of instruction on better time management and study skills, among other strategies to get students back on track to graduate. It worked well for Tyler, until another unforeseen challenge came up during her fourth semester.

“During my fourth semester, the pandemic hit,” she said. “It was a new challenge in itself, but I was determined to show my children that no matter the challenges I faced, I was not giving up. There were days I would lock myself in a room or a bathroom to read and study.”

Tyler persevered and has earned a degree in the college’s Associate Degree Nursing program. She was among 619 students who received at least one credential from the college during drive-through ceremonies July 29-Aug. 1 at the Raymond and Utica campuses. Ceremonies were adjusted from the traditional format due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

“The most exciting time of year for educators is graduation,” said ���Ĺ���ý President Dr. Stephen Vacik. “It is a milestone for students. It is a milestone for faculty and staff as well. Even in this time of interpersonal challenge, we want to be deliberate in celebrating the achievements of our students. To that end, ���Ĺ���ý hosted drive-through commencement exercises over four days. And even though it looked different than past graduations, because it is our affirmative response to an adversary in COVID-19, it will be even more meaningful.”

Tyler credits her faith for seeing her through the darker times these past few years.

“We can make plans, but God determines our steps,” she said.