Jackie McCarthy

Alumni

North Dickinson graduate Jackie McCarthy has invested several years at Bay and has, in turn, been able to apply her degrees back into the workforce.  Following a semester at Northern Michigan University as a Pre-Med major, she chose to start over at Bay College in the winter semester of the 2000-2001 school year.  To put Jackie’s start at Bay College into historical context, when she began at Bay College, West Campus courses were being held in a building that was located on the same property as the American Martyr’s Catholic Church in Kingsford.

In the 2002-2003 year, Jackie completed the Nurse’s Assistant program at Bay and would later complete her Associate in Arts – Social Work degree in May of 2011.  After completing her degree from Bay, she accepted a position managing a day program for developmentally disable and mentally ill adults.  After working in that position for two years, she changed paths and chose to be a stay-at-home mother as she and her husband started a family.

During her years as a stay-at-home mother, Jackie had to provide care to her daughter who was diagnosed with FPIES (Food Protein Induced Enterocolitis Syndrome).  It was as a result of her daughter’s diagnosis that Jackie realized her heart was still in the nursing field.  As a result, when her children were both old enough to be in school, she decided it was time to return to Bay.

Beginning in the winter semester of the 2020-2021 school year, Jackie came back to Bay to earn her Practical Nurse (PN) certificate, which she completed in August, 2022.  When asked what led her to choose to return to Bay for her PN certificate, Jackie stated, “Coming back to Bay for my nursing certificate was a no-brainer for me.  Having already been a student here, and having worked as a tutor and a Supplemental Instruction Leader, I knew how wonderful the community is.  Staying close to home was another important factor for me, as well as earning my certification from a reputable institution.”

To say that Jackie is a fixture of sorts here at the West Campus is both a compliment to her and a gift to the West Campus community.  During her time here as a student, Jackie tutored for a number of social science courses, such as Psychology, along with a couple of math courses.  When Supplemental Instruction began at West Campus in the winter 2010 semester, she was the first SI leader for Psychology and held that position and the title of tutor until her graduation.

Moving forward now that she has completed her PN certificate, Jackie has recently accepted a part-time LPN position Marshfield-Dickinson, which is allowing her to continue tutoring and lead SI for Anatomy & Physiology at here at the West Campus.  Jackie says, “It was important to me when searching for a nursing job that I find something that would work around my job here at Bay.  I absolutely love working here and helping students reach their fullest potential.  There is a good chance that I will be back as a student in the future to compete the RN Bridge Program.  What can I say…BAY IS THE WAY!!”

In closing, when asked if there was anything else she would like for us to know or any wisdom she would like to give us, she stated, “I feel very grateful to have been a student, and to work for a college that is so accepting and helpful to every single person that walks through the door.  Bay College has become a staple in the community that I hope more and more people will continue to utilize for years to come.”