Support Stories

I never knew one course could change my entire future. My name is Ash Lee Hicks, and I livein Fayetteville, Arkansas.

I’ve been an RN in the ICU, hospice and schools for well over a decade, but I’ve always wanted to earn my master’s degree. The pandemic hit and we were thrust into virtual learning. When I saw all four of my kids having to learn remotely, I figured I could, too.

I was attracted to Post University because I felt supported before I even enrolled there. I had already had some contact with them through looking for a BSN program, and they just kept in touch. I was enrolled in the first course, and the major assignment in that course was to address a problem in healthcare and to create a hypothetical solution. I had worked as a school nurse, and I knew that food insecurity was a big deal, and I wanted to do something about that. And the whole hypothetical aspect wasn’t good enough for me.

I grew up food insecure, and we lived in poverty. I know what it feels like to be hungry. I’m just … sorry, it’s kind of hard to, like, talk about. I knew early that I did not want to live that kind of life forever. Education helped open the doors for me, and it was my way out.

Even though I’m a nurse, food insecurity is a healthcare issue, and this is my lane. So my husband and I purchased a 53-acre piece of property right outside city limits.

I’m not a farmer. I have no agricultural background, but my sister-in-law and I have started a vegetable farm that helps feed the less-fortunate in northwest Arkansas. It really was that very first course at Post that made Good to Grow happen.

The state of the nursing profession today really concerns me. One of the root causes of a nursing shortage was that there’s a shortage of educators and that prompted me to go that route. Because of Post University, not only am I ready for that next step, I’ve already taken it and have secured a full-time position.

Going to Post University for my master’s degree changed the impact I can have on my family, my community, and the entire field of nursing.