Jarod Taliaferro ASN,

Springfield Campus

Inspiration can come from anywhere. A random act of kindness. A word of encouragement. Most often it can come from those closest to you. This was the case for Regina Rogers, BSN student. Her mom had been a nurse for over 30 years. “My mom retired from the Ohio State University hospital,” she recalls. “She inspired me to return to school and pursue a nursing career.”

Rogers was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio, with several brothers and a sister. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in business administration and a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics. She thought she wanted to be a teacher because she enjoyed helping

Ever since he was a little boy, Jarod Taliaferro wanted to be a soldier. “My mom would tell anyone who would listen that’s what I wanted to be.” And sure enough, he became one.

Taliaferro was born in Springfield, Missouri. When he was seven he moved to Texas with his father, and later moved back to Branson, (continued on next page)

Jarod Taliaferro

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Missouri during his sophomore year in high school. After graduating, he enlisted in the army where he began basic training. Taliaferro was eventually assigned to Ft. Campbell, Kentucky, and while there he was required to take two medical-based classes, Combat Lifesaver (CSL) and Eagle First Responder (EFR).

His unit, the 101st Airborne Division (the Screaming Eagles), were deployed to Afghanistan in 2016. While there he put the skills he learned from the CSL and EFR classes to use, and discovered that he enjoyed the medical side of things.

After his first tour, he had planned to visit several colleges to see what was available. His mom heard about an Open House at Cox College through a friend who worked there, and she encouraged her son to attend. Taliaferro came, toured the College, visited with students and faculty, and ultimately decided this was where he belonged.

He applied and was accepted, but decided to do another three year tour and put his nursing journey on the back burner. His time as an infantryman soon took a toll on his body.

“I really enjoyed my time in the military,” he said, “I met some of my closest friends there, but I was starting to have some chronic injuries.” His doctor told him that maybe it was time to think of doing something else.

“I had never planned on making the military a career, so it seemed like a good time to pick up where I had left off and pursue my nursing degree.”

Taliaferro is currently in his first semester here at the College. He appreciates his professors and their willingness to make sure h e understands the concepts and answer questions.

His goal after receiving his ASN degree is to complete an RN-to-BSN degree and ultimately a Masters degree as a nurse practitioner. Taliaferro wants to focus on trauma care due to his military background. n