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�ֲ���ý the starting point for nursing grad’s success

August 8, 2023
by Megan Smedley

When choosing where to complete her education, Amanda Fry admits that one thing that she knew for sure that she needed was a support system. She was able to find that at �ֲ���ý.

Fry began her journey at �ֲ���ý as a single mom with years of working in management. She says she got the guidance she needed to be a full-time student and mother from the college’s world-class nursing faculty.

“I am very lucky to have had the supports I did at �ֲ���ý. Specifically, Ginger Clarke has been a role model and support system for me,” Fry said.

Clarke is the Associate Dean of Health Sciences, as well as nursing program administrator at �ֲ���ý.  

“I had always wanted to be a psych nurse, but I hesitated because I doubted myself on the medical side of things,” Fry said. “After helping to care for my terminally ill niece, I took the leap and enrolled in the LPN program at �ֲ���ý and have been going full steam ahead ever since.”

Fry graduated from the Practical Nursing program in May of 2018, then from the Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) program in May of 2020. She was a member of Phi Theta Kappa Honors Society and worked as a tutor.

She currently serves on the Executive Team at Pathways, Inc as the Director of Nursing and Medical Services.

After becoming a registered nurse, Fry earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree in 2022. She has since been admitted into the Master of Science in Nursing program at Northern Kentucky University.

“I can remember Amanda saying, in her first semester of the PN program, that she planned on getting her ADN, BSN and then her master’s degree,” said Clarke. “It stood out to me, and she did it in such a short timeframe. She is a great example of determination and hard work.  She makes me so proud.”

Fry said she had no intention of going back into leadership until the opening came up at Pathways.

“They were looking for a Director of Nursing and Medical Services, and I felt that this organization was one that I could truly make a difference for people struggling with mental health and substance use disorders in that role,” she said. “I took a leap and got the job.”

When asked what she would tell someone considering enrolling in the nursing program at �ֲ���ý, Fry said: “Do it.”

The ADN program at �ֲ���ý prepares graduates to provide and manage patient care and to become valuable members within the discipline of nursing.

Graduates are eligible to take the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN).

The ADN program is offered on the Maysville Campus, the Licking Valley Campus in Cynthiana, and the Montgomery Campus in Mount Sterling.

The average salary for nurses in Kentucky is just over $50,000 annually.

For more information about the nursing program at �ֲ���ý, visit maysville.kctcs.edu or email Clarke at ginger.clarke@kctcs.edu.