Stories of Excellence–James Melicia
James Melicia has big career goals. He plans to earn four degrees on his educational journey, the first of which will be his Associate Degree of Nursing from Mitchell Community College.
Eager to get a jumpstart on his education, Melicia enrolled in Mitchell’s Career and College Promise program in 2017 while attending Lake Norman High School. He found that his night college courses were much different than the high school classes he has experienced. “I liked how you learned a lot more in a shorter amount of time,” he noted. “Everything is more focused and concentrated.”
Like many Mitchell students, Melicia works while he is pursuing his degree. He serves as a provisional broker for Keller Williams Realty to help ease the financial burden of classes and supplies. While he notes this is a very different career from his goal position, the skills he is learning and the network he is growing is applicable to his future career and to his life. “Having professional mentors has been a great learning experience,” he said. His educational mentors and instructors at Mitchell have made a huge impact on the way he learns as well. Melicia has found that his coursework, while rigorous, has been enlightening. Even courses which are often thought of as difficult have become more attainable and meaningful with the help of supportive faculty. “Like many courses, my Anatomy & Physiology course work is certainly hard,” he said, “but Ms. Bebler has a way of teaching it to make it stick.”
Melicia’s passion for becoming a doctor stems from his father’s experiences. In a job site accident, Melicia’s father critically injured his spine. During a necessary follow up surgery, a cardiovascular surgeon quite literally saved his life. This experience coupled with subsequent frequent medical visits, have prompted Melicia to pursue his goal. “I feel like I owe it to everyone to help them the way my father has been helped,” he noted. “I hope to attend Wake Forest for my Doctorate of Nurse Practitioner degree because of the care my father has received at the Wake Forest Medical Center.” Although he will have many stepping stones along the way to this goal, he is proud his first stepping stone is Mitchell.
Beyond Mitchell’s affordability and convenience, Melicia noted the quality of the faculty and staff has made a difference on his journey. “Unlike some other schools I’ve heard of, the Nursing faculty at Mitchell make becoming a nurse attainable,” Melicia said. “The standards and expectations are very high, but they help you meet those standards and expectations.” After all, he noted, Mitchell’s program is ranked third in the state.
Find the path to your career goals at Mitchell! Discover our acclaimed Associate Degree Nursing program. Explore degrees, diploma and certificate programs Mitchell offers and find out how to apply. Gain a new skill or expand your career opportunities through our short-term Continuing Education programs. For additional support, speak to an advisor at (704) 878-3242 or advising@mitchellcc.edu.