Stepping Stones to Success

For most people, life isn’t a straight path. There are ups and downs, personal challenges and obstacles that may not be apparent from the get-go. But for Julie Howard, one step backward didn’t mean the end of the road. If anything, it motivated her more.

“Just because you failed, doesn’t mean you can’t succeed,” she said. “I failed the first time almost five years ago, but I didn’t give up.”

Howard will be celebrating her success with hundreds of other graduates at the 2025 STLCC Commencement, officially earning her associate in nursing degree.

But her first attempt didn’t end on a graduation stage, like this one. She enrolled in a nursing program elsewhere, but struggled for a multitude of reasons.

“It was the peak of Covid, I bought a house, big life things were happening, I didn’t prioritize, I was 21,” she said.

Now, at age 26, she’s reached her goal of earning her degree on her second attempt. But even after an unsuccessful first attempt, she didn’t get down. Less than a year later, she enrolled at STLCC. At the same time, she also worked as a tech and later as a phlebotomist.

“Stepping stones to becoming a nurse,” she said about choosing those jobs.

They were great jobs for her, giving her experience working in the health field and dealing with patients directly. But it still wasn’t her end goal.

Finding Support

Another stepping stone on her path to graduation included finding the academic supports she needed in her classes.

“I’ve had accommodations through elementary, high school and my previous college experience,” Howard said. “But my first experience with it wasn’t great during covid—some of my accommodations kind of got missed.”

Howard’s needs include requiring extended time and a quiet area during testing—both of which are accommodated by the STLCC testing center. Additionally, she has problems with comprehension when reading.

“When someone reads it to me, I get it without a problem,” she said. When she learned about this particular accommodation it was a “big victory.” She noted that many students don’t know that these services are available to them. Which is why the Access Office is such an important resource for students.

“If you have a documented disability, or are unsure if you qualify, please come and speak with us,” said Amy Hasman, manager of Meramec’s Access Office. “Once we approve your accommodations, you decide if you want to use them.”

The information shared at the Access Office is confidential, Hasman said, and students with accommodations can choose to use them for some classes, but not for others, so there’s flexibility for students.

“But it’s always a good idea to have the accommodations set up and ready to go,” she advised.

Accommodations are individualized and unique to each person, and may include extra time on a test, audio books, ASL interpreters, text-to-speech, or many other things.

Howard said the Access Office is “very welcoming.” She said Hasman and the Access Office team made time for her and were helpful in meeting her needs.

“It was nice to be heard and seen and cared about,” Howard said.

Preparing for Her Next Steps

While taking classes, Howard has also been working at an externship with St. Clare Hospital, in Fenton, working one-on-one with nurses there.

“Another stepping stone,” she said. “It’s allowed me to see how I’m doing, how I’m progressing and build on my education.”

After graduation, Howard plans to work full-time as a cardiac nurse at St. Clare Hospital.

“She is so smart, personable and will be an amazing nurse,” Hasman said. “I have no doubt she will ease any patient’s concerns due to her delightful personality and knowledge of her work.”

For Howard, her advice to prospective students is to seek out the type of support that helped her reach her goals. In addition to the Access Office, the College offers numerous other student support resources.

“It provided me a wonderful platform to be successful as a student,” she said. “The teachers are resourceful and have seen a lot of things and have a lot of connections.”

“And without my accommodations, I don’t think I would be so successful,” she said.