Meridian Community College: The Road Is Long For MCC Nursing Student Latasha Cooper

Press release from Meridian Community College:

October 20, 2021

To say Latasha Cooper is driven would be an understatement.

The fourth-semester Meridian Community College Associate Degree Nursing student is
nearing the finish line to her next career achievement. “It’s always been my goal
to become an RN. But I’m that type of person who has to take baby steps. I have to
take it a step at a time,” she said.

One could say she’s taking it a mile at a time.

Cooper lives in St. James Parish, Louisiana, about 45 minutes outside of New Orleans.
It takes her four hours to drive from her home to the MCC campus and, yes, four hours
returning home. It’s a task that she does five days a week. “For the first semester,
it was kind of a struggle. But at the same time, it wasn’t. Because one of my jobs
on the side is that I’m a travel licensed practical nurse,” Cooper said.

For 15 years, Cooper has been an LPN, and she admits she has done just about a little
bit of everything in that arena – geriatrics, pediatrics, med-surg, school nurse.
So, when she felt it was time to move forward, she began applying to nursing schools
nearby. “It seemed like I was always put on a waiting list,” she noted. After talking
to a friend who earned her associate degree in nursing from MCC several years back,
Cooper decided to apply to MCC.

“I was driving on the interstate one day with my daughter, and I’ll never forget.
The MCC ADN advisor called and asked if I was interested in getting in the program,
and I was like, no hesitation,” Cooper said.

The 34-year-old is mom to three children who she says have full extra-curricular lives.
One is in dance, another is high school majorette, and another is on the swim team.
“I’m a parent who doesn’t want to miss anything. I’ll come to school, handle what
I need to handle, and I’m coming straight back home to participate or go to their
functions,” she said.

While on the road, though, Cooper listens to her recorded lectures that she connects
through her 2016 Nisan Altima’s audio system. When she first bought her car, it had
40,000 miles on it; today’s odometer is ticking toward 200,000. She noted that classmates
call her knowing that she’s driving on the road and they’ll talk and study while the
miles drift away. “I give big thanks to them,” she said.

Cooper works weekends when she’s not on the road or in class or clinicals. Her full-time
job means she’s committed to 16 hours each Saturday and Sunday. “I do get to study
on my breaks, and when there’s downtime, I seclude myself in the nurses' station and
study,” she said.

It hasn’t always been a smooth journey. “I feel like I’ve run into a rock every semester,”
she said, noting that her grandfather, great-grandmother, and aunt died in the past
three semesters.

For the Fall 2021 semester, Cooper encountered and endured Hurricane Ida, one of the
largest storms to impact Louisiana in recent times. “The instructors kept checking
on me to make sure I was I was good,” she said. Cooper’s home suffered damage and
there was no power for almost a month. Still, Cooper’s determination for a better
life drives her.

“I want to do this because I love being a nurse. That’s my passion. On the flip side
of that is I’m doing it for my kids. I’m a single parent. It’s me who has to keep
the boat afloat. So, it’s for them,” she said.

MCC ADN Instructor Lisa Jenkins, one of Cooper’s teachers, said Cooper is prepared
for class daily and in clinical she is very knowledgeable, professional, and committed
to excellent nursing care.

“Driving daily from the New Orleans area to be in class by 8 a.m. and clinical by
6:30 a.m. shows commitment,” Jenkins said. “Being in class the first day back after
the hurricane after losing power, leaving her home with her children, staying with
a relative (whose roof was leaking significantly) shows commitment.”

Jenkins added, “I have never heard her complain about anything or anyone. I am so
thankful Latasha chose MCC to further her education and achieve her goals.”

What’s down the road for Cooper? Two areas in nursing spark her interest. “I like
surgery. My ultimate goal is to work in the intensive care unit and get critical care
certified.”

This press release was produced by Meridian Community College. The views expressed here are the author’s own.