Vivian Yates is a great example of someone who earned her education in our community, stayed to work in our community and continues to make a difference today in our community.
Yates, PHD, RN and CNS, is a professor in the Allied Health and Nursing Division at LCCC. This is her 20th year of teaching on campus. “To me,” said Yates, “education is a life-changing experience. It can increase the quality of life. It opens doors and provides opportunities to our students they may not otherwise have.”
Yates was an LCCC student herself in the very program she is now teaching. She graduated in 1980 earning an associate of applied science with a major in nursing. The 1970 graduate of Elyria High School went on to earn her Bachelor’s, Masters and Doctorate degrees. She spent nearly 10 years working in clinical or administrative positions in Health Care before beginning her teaching career at LCCC. “I always enjoyed the teaching part of my roles in nursing,” said Yates. “The education of the patient, the family and the staff was something I enjoyed. So, when I had the opportunity to teach fulltime, I knew that it was what I wanted to do.”
Dr. Yates taught all of the classes in the licensed practical nursing program in her first 14 years on campus. Over the last six years, she has taught in the associate degree nursing program. “So,” she said, “I see the students when they are just starting the program and I see them in the end. It gives me a chance to see how they’ve grown over the two-year period.”
Has she ever wondered what if? What if she went away from the community and the college where she grew up? “I enjoy teaching in the community college setting,” said Yates. “We have both traditional and non-traditional students that bring to the classroom a variety of backgrounds, education and life experiences.” The impact that setting has in the classroom cannot be underestimated.
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