Terra State Community College nursing graduate Dana Englehart of Tiffin has been named the college’s Fremont Rotary Student of the Year. The Fremont Ross graduate chose Terra State “because I grew up in Fremont and it was local. I also believe Terra State has a good nursing program.”

Dana completed her nursing program at Terra State in December 2019 and is a registered nurse working in acute care at Tiffin Mercy Hospital.
“I love it,” she said. “I feel like I was supposed to be a nurse. There are some very hard days and it’s an emotional job, but I feel in my heart that I picked the right career.”

She is grateful for all she learned as a student at Terra State. “Terra gave me that start that I needed to get recognized and stand out, which helped me get this job,” she said.

Dana demonstrated success in the classroom despite the challenges she faced. Her nominator, Angela Wood, a Terra State nursing instructor, said, “Dana is a single mother of a one-year-old and found a way to remain active on campus, in the community and achieve academic success. I have personally witnessed Dana overcome hurdles from the stress of nursing school, being a new mother and finding her way in life.”

While a student at Terra State, Dana was very involved. She was the Student Government Association President, a member of the Student Nurses’ Association and a student employee working in the Student Activities Center. She was also a recognized speaker at Terra State’s Partners in Education Banquet and raised $1,800 for a student scholarship at Terra State.

“If Terra never gave me the opportunity to be in Student Government, to get involved, to step up into leadership positions, make connections and get help with my resume, I don’t think I would have gotten the push that I needed to get my job,” she said.

She is a part of an American Cancer Society Relay for Life team that has raised over $10,000 since 2015. She also works at the Haunted Hydro Dark Attraction Park as a makeup artist and haunt actor and volunteers in many of their charity events.