Student Success Archives

August 15, 2012

Erica Robuck

“I had so many wonderful teachers growing up that it just seemed natural for me to jump into teaching, and MACC’s AAT program was a perfect start for me.”

Erica Robuck is not much taller than the first graders she teaches. In fact, she jokes that she won’t ever be able to teach grades much higher because all of the kids will tower over her. But really that’s okay, because when you watch Erica in action with her students, you quickly get the idea that she’s right where she’s supposed to be.

“I grew up in the Cairo area. I actually attended school in this building from kindergarten all the way up until twelfth grade. I was very involved in sports and all kinds of clubs and I had so many wonderful teachers that it just always felt right to me, they inspired me to want to be a teacher. Plus, I enjoy helping others and I enjoy children so it just felt natural for me to jump into teaching,” Erica explained.

So when it came time to leave the safe confines of the only school she’d ever know, Moberly Area Community College was an easy choice.

“I chose MACC as my first college mainly because of the A+ Program. I knew that I wanted to save as much money as possible going to school and MACC provided a way for me to do that. It was also close to home and had a good reputation, so it was the place for me,” explained Erica.

Since Erica already knew she was passionate about teaching, she immediately joined the Associate of Arts in Teaching degree program. The AAT program aligns curriculum with all Missouri colleges and allows students to enter a four-year college or university education department as a junior.

“Transferring from MACC to Central Methodist was easier than I expected. I was able to get in touch with an advisor from CMU and tell her what classes I was taking at MACC and through communicating back and forth we were able to get my schedules aligned and the transfer was just seamless.”

MACC gave Erica the start she needed to become a teacher. The first classes she took related to her field were at MACC. They prepared her for her four-year college and ultimately for teaching.

“Whether you choose a two or four-year college, you can get a quality education at both. The key is just being willing to put in the time and effort it takes to be successful. College is about focusing on what you want to do when you get out into the real world. So you need to make the best of that opportunity.”

August 15, 2012

Larry Nichols

“The instructors at MACC took a small town kid like me under their wing and inspired me to be a more accessible and family-oriented physician. It was the right choice for my first college.”

Larry Nichols knew he wanted to be a doctor. There were no soul-searching moments of angst his senior year of high school about what he was going to be. The real question was where he would go to college to become a doctor.

His parents were hard-working people but honestly, at the end of the month, there just wasn’t enough money for a college fund with his name on it. Larry had the grades and earned some scholarships but they still weren’t enough for him to pay for a 4-year institution beginning his freshman year.

So with admitted disappointment, he did the smart thing. He lived at home, kept his after school job and signed up for classes at Moberly Area Community College.

“To be honest, when I first thought about having to still live with my parents and work a part-time job while all of my friends went off to four-year institutions, I was a little bit disappointed. But very quickly I found out that Moberly Area Community College is truly a blessing. It allowed me to stay at home, continue to work and save money and get a great education that prepared me to go on to a four-year college,” recalled Larry.

He transferred to Truman University with multiple scholarships and went on to medical school with much less debt.

Dr. Nichols is now a board certified family practice physician at the Hannibal Clinic where he is one of the owners. His patients are loyal friends of his. One of the reasons he choose family practice medicine is because you do just that. Treat the whole family and you end up becoming part of their lives especially in a small community like Hannibal where Dr. Nichols is heavily involved in the local sports scene with his two sons. His involvement in the community and his kids’ lives is evidenced in the framed photos of them lining the walls of his exam rooms and private office. Patients get the latest update on what the boys are doing just by taking a glance around the room.

This kind of comfortable honesty and individualized experience is something Dr. Nichols said he learned from professors at MACC.

“I remember that it didn’t matter the day or time or even the place, I could see one of my MACC professors on the street in downtown Moberly and ask a question about a class, and he or she would be happy to sit down right there and help me. Several of the science teachers took me under their wing and told me what I needed to do if I wanted to be a physician. They encouraged me that even though I was a small town kid to go out there and do what they knew I could do. I figured out quickly that that’s the kind of doctor I wanted to be for my patients, accessible and interested in more than just their physical needs. It’s why family practice was a perfect fit for me,” he explained.

His advice to students thinking about college and especially pre-med is simple. MACC is a great start for your general education. You can literally start at MACC and go anywhere. It’s also a great place to get involved. He suggests that students take advantage of the opportunities that clubs and organizations offer to volunteer in the community because you must have at least 200 hours of job shadowing before medical schools will even look at your application. So it’s essential to get the grades but to also be a well-rounded person.

“I know when I first started thinking about going to community college I thought I was going to be missing out on something. And it just wasn’t true. Community college has so much to offer you. There so many organizations to get involved in and basketball games to attend. Looking back, I still believe I made the right choice,” Dr. Nichols said.

August 15, 2012

Ashlie Miller

“As a child life specialist, I want to help make a difference in a little boy or girl’s life. MACC gave me the confidence to pursue that passion.”

It’s funny how sometimes you find your life purpose in a simple event. Ashlie Miller was just looking for a playmate and had no idea that it would eventually fuel her passion for children with life-threatening illnesses.

“I was born with a hole in my heart in 1989. At two, I underwent open-heart surgery. I remember asking my mom if there was anyone to play with. I was lonely and bored. There was nobody to play with me. Since that time, I’ve developed a love for children with life-threatening illnesses. I want their hospital stays to be more like home, and I want to give them the experience I didn’t have when I was in the hospital,” explained Ashlie.

If there had been a child life specialist at the hospital for Ashlie, her stay would have been totally different. Which is why she is determined to earn her degree to start changing kids’ lives now.

Basically, a child life specialist acts as a therapist, a friend and a playmate who helps children understand their procedures through educated play. They teach kids coping mechanisms, pain management strategies and help parents navigate insurance companies, doctor appointments and life inside a hospital.

“Being able to interact with people and helping them find a connection with me is key to what I’m wanting to do and coming to MACC was the first step in finding my true ability,” said Ashlie.

Ashlie chose to start her education at the MACC-Hannibal Area Higher Education Center because she wanted to go to college close to home. MACC was also an affordable option.

She was incredibly shy and the thought of going to a huge college was more than she could handle. Ashlie is the first in her family to attend college, so just walking into MACC to register for classes was overwhelming.

“The people at MACC helped me with all of the questions that I had and choosing my classes. In fact, a few semesters into my time here, I actually began working at the front desk. I sat at my desk that first day thinking about how far I’ve come since starting MACC. I’m now the one helping people just like me who are coming in for the first time completely nervous and scared. When I started, I was too nervous to even answer the phones! MACC has really helped me come out of my shell, ” she explained.

Ashlie is transferring to a four-institution to finish her bachelor’s degree so she can begin fulfilling her dreams.

“As a child life specialist, I want to help make a difference in a little boy or girl’s life and I’m very glad MACC is helping me do that,” said Ashlie.