When Becky Anderson completed her master’s degree, she didn’t have plans to further her education.

Anderson, an associate professor in the ADN program at Southside Virginia Community College (SVCC), has been a nurse for 32 years. She pivoted to the classroom after a clinical coordinator role made her fall in love with teaching.

"I’ve got the best of both worlds—I’m a nurse and a teacher," she says.

The decision to join Northern Kentucky University’s Doctor of Nursing Practice program came after Anderson lost her father to a tragic accident and her mother to cancer.

"During that time, I really saw how precious life was and that we’re not guaranteed tomorrow," she says. "If there is something you can do and want to do, you should do it."

Shortly after Anderson lost her mother, Melissa Arthur, dean of Nursing, Health, & Science at SVCC, suggested a small group of colleagues should get their degrees—together. When she considered joining the program, it didn’t take long for Anderson to make her decision. She needed a distraction.

The bond between colleagues strengthened when all of them joined NKU’s DNP program at the same time.

"It takes a village, it really does. We’re bonded forever," she says. "It’s amazing that we’re all such good friends. We all love where we work, and we love what we’re doing. I feel like I’m where my calling is—educating the nurses of tomorrow."

Anderson has been teaching for more than a decade, but she was still able to take things she learned from the program and into her own classroom.

"Each semester, we would start a class and realize it’s not at all black and white. You have to look at gray areas," she says. "It really helps you process and understand the meat and potatoes of nursing. It’s not just taking care of a patient. It’s knowing why you’re doing what you’re doing and understanding the background of it all. As an educator, it helps me think more in depth and explain things better to students."

Anderson focuses on curriculum-based nursing, which includes foundational readings and then engaged teaching when students come to the classroom. She wants her nursing students to be able to see the real-world application before they graduate.

As she looks back on her journey, Anderson’s passion for education began early in her life thanks for her parents. She views getting her degree as more than just an achievement for herself.

"My father was a Navy man, and he taught upper-level chemistry for 25 years. He was always the one driving for getting an education," she says. "Now that my mom and dad are in Heaven, this is my repayment to them. I’m proud, and I know they would be proud. They can look down and say, 'Wow, she did it.'"