News

By Alex Freeman, MCC Communications Specialist

As a busy mother of two, Montcalm Community College started out as a convenient location to obtain a nursing degree for Ashley Riley, but it quickly turned into so much more. 

The 2003 graduate of Lakeview High School spent her early career as a beautician but knew for a long time that nursing was the desired path for her. 

“It wasn’t until my son was diagnosed with bilateral club foot that I actually saw how amazing nursing was,” Riley said. “I went to his appointments for his casting, so I originally thought I would do something with childcare in health care. But it was that moment where I was like, ‘You know what, I think I want to be a nurse.’” 

Though she decided back in 2007 that she wanted to be a nurse, it wasn’t until 2014 when Riley started at MCC with her nursing pre-requisites. But Riley’s journey wasn’t the smoothest — a myriad of life hardships and the intensity of nursing school led to her failing in her first semester. Riley persevered, though — she re-applied and got back into the program, stating, “I had to keep going, no matter how shattered I felt inside.” 

Riley found success on her second stint in the nursing program, turning her focus to obtaining all the job skills that she could during nursing school. Riley started a job at Corewell Health in Greenville (formerly Spectrum Health) in 2017 and shifted to many different areas of the hospital which offered extra working hours. Riley worked as a phlebotomist, pathology assistant, nursing technician and cardiac telemetry technician. After passing her first year of nursing school, Riley passed the Licensed Practical Nurse boards and was able to work in the Rehab of Nursing at Corewell Health and also do travel nursing. 

Throughout this time, Riley often leaned on her instructors as much as she could, but found comfort in their humanity, as well. 

“As I got into the program, it was all the nursing instructors and all the teachers there who were so empathetic with my journey,” Riley said. “They really wanted me to succeed as a person as much as I did. That sets MCC apart. At MCC, I felt part of the school.” 

Riley graduated from MCC in fall 2018 with her associate degree in nursing. Riley bounced back in a big way from her early hardships, even becoming the class speaker, referring to it as, “One of the biggest achievements of my life.” 

It wasn’t too long after her graduation that Riley felt a calling to be that “beacon of light,” for future students that her instructors at MCC were for her. She took the first step by completing her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Chamberlain University in 2023, graduating with Presidents Honors. 

Riley currently works at Corewell Health as one of the Charge Nurses on the Critical Care Unit and Medical Surgical Unit. Even still, Riley could not shake her desire to teach. So, when the chance to be an adjunct nursing professor at MCC arose, Riley pounced at the opportunity. While she was always drawn to MCC due to its location, the prospect of being a part of the next generation of personable, empathetic instructors at MCC was too good to pass up. 

“The staff that was there, the instructors, even the lab staff, the counselors, they were all so helpful,” Riley said. “I’ve always felt the people at MCC were all very helpful, it’s not just the nursing department, I’ve had classes with so many instructors there and I feel like they’re all just wonderful people. And they’re actual people — you can have a conversation with them about family, kids and life and you don’t feel like they’re looking down on you like you’re a student.”