tuition assistance program helps Jessica pursue higher education

The need for nurses and nurse practitioners hits home for Jessica Penny - not only has she been an emergency department nurse at Dayton Children's for seven years, but as a parent, she's witnessed the instrumental role nurses play during the care experience. Her son, Frank, visits the developmental pediatrics team at the Child Health Pavilion.  

This combination of perspectives inspired Jessica to reach towards higher and higher education, so that she could one day become a pediatric nurse practitioner and give the care experience Frank received to other families.

The only thing stopping her? The stress associated with the financial burden of supporting a family while paying for college.

Luckily, at Dayton Children's, we value the power of education and encourage our employees to purse high education, as it not only increases the organization's ability to fill projected workforce talent and skill gaps, but also improves employees' access to career opportunities. With help from Dayton Children's tuition assistance program, Jessica received her associate science of nursing (ADN) at Sinclair College, Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) at Purdue University and will graduate on December 11, 2021 from Maryville University with her Master of Science in Nursing. In just one month, Jessica will walk across that stage, receive her graduate diploma and be one step closer to her dream of becoming a pediatric nurse practitioner.

"It is crazy to think how far I’ve come in the seven years I’ve been with Dayton Children's hospital and how, thanks in part to the tuition assistance program, I started as a patient care assistant and hopefully soon will be seeing patients as a pediatric nurse practitioner," Jessica exclaimed.

Jessica said the application process is simple. For all three of her degrees, she filled out a few electronic applications, faxed her transcripts over and voila! Jessica received her tuition assistance as a reimbursement straight into her bank account.

There are several options for employees interested in pursuing a degree or certificate. Dayton Children's has partnered with local schools to offer a pre-paid tuition assistance option as well as a reimbursement assistance option for other accredited schools. 

"It’s amazing being a part of a family that not only tells me they want to see me succeed but puts their money into helping me better myself and my family’s life," said Jessica. "I am so proud to work here!"

Congratulations, Jessica!

Are you interested in pursuing higher education? Let it be on us! For more information about our benefits, click here.