Tia Evans is a single mother of five children ranging in age from 7 to 14. Before she began at Ross Medical Education Center, she was working at the Dairy Queen in Battle Creek, where she had been for 17 years. In 2005, she decided to attend Kellogg Community College to study criminal justice in hopes of becoming a criminologist. After just beginning her fall semester, her brother was diagnosed with cancer and she had to drop out to take care of her brother and family. Although the decision was a difficult one, she said “I took on the responsibility of helping my family and made the decision that I would rather help save a life than to determine how one was taken.” So, as soon as she was sure that her family would be taken care of, she began to pursue an education in the medical field.
Tia has faced many struggles and challenges, as she knows many people do. Some of the things she’s been faced with have taken her many years to talk about. She was a victim of domestic violence for twelve years. She was forced to hide her life from the outside world but still put on a smile. However, she was determined to provide a better life for her children. She knew that in order to get out of her destructive situation and make a change she would have to get an education. She also wanted her children to know the incredible value of an education. So, she started at Ross to help guide her on her journey and we know she will not stop there. She says, “Ross has given me back the confidence I lost and with that I have maintained a 4.0 GPA through the Medical Assisting program. I’ve learned that it’s not what everyone else expects, but what you expect of yourself; and I will not settle until I reach all of my goals.”
Tia believes Benjamin Franklin was exactly right when he said, “Genius without education is like silver in the mine.” She knows the value of education and hard work and is able to daily enrich the lives of her patients at Northside Pediatrics in Battle Creek. According to Amanda Sutherland, Portage Campus Director, “Tia displayed amazing commitment to starting her career and overcame unbelievable adversity. We are so proud of her.”