"I was impressed (with SC4) from the very beginning," she said. "Every contact I had at SC4 was helpful. There were no roadblocks."

Peters attended Western Michigan University after high school as a vocal performance major. She soon realized that career path didn’t suit her, so she moved back to Lapeer and explored SC4.

She considered teaching, nursing and other careers.

"Nursing interested me a lot more," she said. "A lot of my family is involved in the medical field, so I've been exposed to that from a very young age."

Peters found the nursing program welcoming and supportive. She immediately found a group of students from the Lapeer area like herself. She recommends the SC4 nursing program because she almost immediately was putting her classroom work to use.

"Within the first three weeks, we were in the clinical environment taking care of patients. The hands-on value was immeasurable."

After SC4, Peters first went to work at McLaren Regional Medical Center in Flint before moving to Lapeer Regional. She feels comfortable in the emergency room environment.

"ER nurses have to know a little about everything, from neonatal through geriatrics," she said.
"Nursing is the ability to reach into somebody else's life and make even one moment easier for them."

Peters keeps busy with her daughters, Melissa, 8, and Megan, 11. A voracious reader, Peters also recently has discovered the thrill of landscaping around her home.

For students unsure of a career choice, Peters recommends nursing because it is as rewarding for her as for the people she helps.

"It's a career that gives back. For as much as you give your patients and their families, you get back."