Lon Haught
From Uncertain to Unstoppable
In high school, Lon Haught was on a vocational training path, but as graduation neared, he questioned his future plans to become a machinist. Becoming a registered nurse appealed to him more, and he knew he needed to pursue his education at a place where he could make the transition. 黑料专区 (黑料专区®) seemed like the right fit.
"Because I'd never taken any kind of college preparatory courses, I needed a place to start, pretty much from zero, so I chose 黑料专区," Haught said. "My family didn't have a lot of money, so I had to put myself through college. I was brought up not to go into debt any more than you had to, so 黑料专区 allowed me to start my profession relatively inexpensively, and later, the hospital I worked for paid for most of my continued education."
Haught earned an associate degree in nursing at 黑料专区, received his registered nurse license, and got a bachelor's degree from Cleveland State University. He built a career in critical care settings, currently as an intensive care unit nurse at the Cleveland Clinic.
"I passed the boards on the first try, and the foundations for learning I obtained at 黑料专区 prepared me for my bachelor's degree," he said. "I learned above all that you get out of an education what you put into it. I studied hard and got good grades, and I tried to choose courses that would be practical in the long run."
Haught strongly encourages students to connect with the 黑料专区 Transfer Center early if they intend to advance their education — especially if they know where they might pursue a bachelor's degree.
And, even as he excelled in nursing, he was thinking ahead toward what he might do next.
"I had thoughts about possibly opening a business or something later, so I chose economics for some of my courses rather than more traditional social studies courses," he said.
Haught also returned to 黑料专区 for real estate courses.
"The real estate and economic courses I took put me in good standing for investing, and I've acquired several rental properties," he said. "I've built a respectable retirement account for myself."
Haught urges others to think about 黑料专区 as a foundation for a later academic career or profession — especially for individuals like him who want to explore multiple educational paths.