Freeport sisters enrolled, studied and graduated together to become nurses

FREEPORT — Two sisters from the Sterling-Rock Falls area got to live out a dream when they graduated last weekend from Highland Community College in Freeport.

Amanda Larry of Rock Falls and her sister Ashleigh Chapman of Sterling graduated from high school not thinking about nursing careers. They both got married and raised families while working in health care.

Larry worked as a medical assistant. Chapman was a CNA.

Larry said she had a dream one night that told her the sisters should return to school to become registered nurses. They talked it over, explored colleges that would allow them to keep working while pursuing their degrees and found a part-time nursing program through Highland Community College.

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Chapman said she always liked helping people, having worked with people with disabilities in the past. Larry worked as a medical assistant but wanted more.

"I love patient care. Nursing will lead me to that rewarding feeling that I can make a difference, and change someone’s life," Chapman said. "My sister and I did our clinicals together, and it has been more than two years of work, study, and travel, and now we get to live the reality."

The sisters received associates degrees in applied science.

“Our instructors helped guide us, support us, and made sure we had the instruction we needed to be able to work in a career we both chose,” Chapman said. “Education does not stop as we get older. We both have families. We made it work.”

“It’s like they say," Larry said. "If you dream it, you can become it.”

Andy Carrigan: acarrigan@rrstar.com, @AndyCarriganRRS

This article originally appeared on Journal Standard: Freeport, IL sisters studied and graduated together to become nurses