Nicole Hardy started her journey with Ross Medical Education Center in Port Huron in the Medical Assistant program in August of 2014. She was already a dedicated wife and mother of a little boy, but she knew that she wanted to do something more for herself and her family. During Nicole’s time at the campus, she and her family fell on hard times and struggled to get by with very few resources. In addition to the financial challenges in her life, Nicole also fought to ensure her hearing impairment did not affect her academic success. Nicole was unable to afford hearing aids, yet she continued to work hard and focus on her studies while never allowing her challenges to get the best of her.
The staff and faculty witnessed Nicole’s tenacity early on in her program. Her eyeglasses broke shortly after she began her training, and she could not afford a new pair. Nicole taped her broken glasses together and continued to wear them every day, never letting that inconvenience stop her from pursuing her education. During this time, Nicole’s instructor, Mrs. Wilczynski, inquired about her glasses. Nicole informed her that she could not afford a new pair and that her damaged, tape-covered glasses would suffice. Mrs. Wilczynski could not bear to see one of her students struggle, so she provided Nicole with a pair of her old eyeglasses. The result of this kind gesture appeared to really do wonders to Nicole’s self-esteem. As she continued in her program, others reached out with scrubs and shoes out of a desire to support her success. As Nicole became more self-confident, she opened up more in the classroom and began making friends with classmates.
The students, faculty, and staff at Ross in Port Huron thoroughly enjoyed having Nicole on campus. Her kind heart, commitment to her studies, and incredible perseverance really inspired others. When Nicole finished her classroom training and was getting ready for her externship, she wrote a special poem for her instructors which read, “Roses are red, violets are blue, I never believed in myself, until I had teachers like you.” Nicole completed her program at Ross and was offered a full-time Medical Assistant position at Lake Huron Woods Senior Living Community. The Ross community is excited to see where life takes Nicole next!