Danielle Hubbard’s pursuit of a nursing career through UCC was inspired by her service as a medic in the Army National Guard, but also by a challenging childhood that motivated her to help others in the community.
Danielle entered adulthood at age 17 and navigated a difficult path to independence. She spent a few months living out of a van in a retail parking lot before securing a better life for herself, which began through UCC.
After completing high school and early college courses through the Phoenix Charter School, she enlisted in the Army National Guard and was assigned to a hospital mission of humanitarian efforts for the pandemic and the Oregon wildfires. From there, she discovered a passion for health care and enrolled in UCC’s Nursing Program with goal of becoming a nurse practitioner.
“When I first came to UCC I was interested in being an attorney but being part of the mission in the National Guard, I felt like I finally had an opportunity where I could help people,” Danielle said. “What I want most is to be an advocate for people after all those years of not being able to advocate for myself.”
She plans to earn her bachelor’s through the Oregon Health Services University in Portland, which will provide remote coursework so she can fulfill her Guard duties. She is set to deploy to Egypt later in the year for a nine-month humanitarian mission.
After that, she hopes to return to Douglas County and work as a nurse practitioner. Her plan is to stay in the National Guard, while also working for a local healthcare provider.
“I’m grateful to this community and UCC for playing a huge role in my success,” she said. “I had never experienced formal education when I came here, but it was easy to navigate, and the career counselors were incredibly helpful. It was a great experience both on-campus and online.”
In addition to her studies, Danielle has been involved in student leadership within the nursing program and as a member of the Phi Theta Kappa honor society.
She has also helped two of her siblings out of poverty, one of whom stayed with her and her husband while he established an independent life for himself.
“It’s been good to support each other because it’s definitely a culture shock entering a larger, more diverse community, being around more people and doing things independently,” she added.
On March 7, Hubbard attended the Presidential State of the Union address as a special guest of U.S. Representative Val Hoyle. Congresswoman Hoyle invited the second-year nursing student to the Washington, D.C. speech after spending time with her during a campus tour.
For more information on UCC’s Allied Health programs, visit: https://www.umpqua.edu/allied-health
