Meet OCC 2024 Grad: LeeAndrea "Lee" Haywood

You know those movies where the lead character faces a gauntlet of seemingly insurmountable obstacles, before gutting it out and emerging victorious at the end? Meet LeeAndrea Haywood, a real-life example. 

When Haywood was younger, she wanted to be a doctor. She would have been the first in her family to go to college and didn’t feel like she had much support. With that thought holding her back, she put aside her big dreams and got a marketing job instead. 

“As I got older, I realized I still wanted to work in healthcare. This time I was drawn to being a nurse,” she said. “Nurses are at the forefront of medicine, and I wanted to challenge myself.”

At the same time, she was fearful. While she had been a good student, Haywood suspected that returning to school would be an adjustment, and it was. 

When Haywood was about 30, she realized she was ready for a change – and to knock the dust off an old goal

“In high school, I was an overachiever,” said Haywood. “But as an older student, I didn’t feel as sharp as my younger classmates. I was forced to adapt, and it humbled me.”

So did failing one of her fundamental nursing courses after being accepted into the program. Haywood had to wait until the following Fall semester to retake the prerequisite and join a new group of students or enroll in other courses. 

According to Haywood, it was a huge setback. It was also an opportunity to demonstrate that she could overcome any challenge, especially as she was already deeply involved in OCC’s Nursing Student Association (NSA).

“I wasn’t taking classes, but I had been elected as NSA’s vice president,” said Haywood. “I committed to the student group and never missed a meeting. Being involved helped me hone my leadership skills, even though I wasn’t advancing in my classes during this time. The experience taught me patience and resilience.”  

Devastating setbacks continue, as does resilience and support

“After failing my class, I lost my older brother to tragic circumstances. And then my brother-in-law died. And then my aunt, who was like my second mom to me, got cancer,” she said. “I learned that I could compartmentalize and persevere. I used my grief as motivation to push through. I’m also a very faith-based person, so I felt like I was doing what I was supposed to be doing.”

Haywood would use this drive to tackle any obstacle that was thrown at her, including when her grades started to slip. 

“I built rapport with every faculty member and let them know that this was important to me,” she said. “I took all of the advice they gave to me, including using OCC’s support resources to help address my test-taking anxiety and improve my grades.” 

Dream becomes reality, prepared to help others

Now that Haywood has overcome so much adversity, she is looking forward to a future where she can help others do the same. 

Today, she is working at one of the country’s best hospitals, University of Michigan Hospital. She wants to use her experiences for good and help others persevere.

“In nursing, we’re taught about therapeutic communication,” she said. “In my career, I want to leverage this skill to tackle health disparities, especially in communities of color – inspiring kids to pursue their own dreams and educating women of conception age. Ultimately, I want to enhance the art, science and heart of nursing.” 

LeeAndrea Haywood is graduating in May with an Associate in Nursing. She is the first in her family to graduate college. LeeAndrea joins more than 1,800 OCC 2024 graduates empowered to succeed. Join them in starting your someday, today.