After building a successful healthcare career, Deanna Young returned to Rockford Career College to guide students through the same program that opened doors for her.
Every day, Deanna Young walks into Rockford Career College with a perspective few program directors can offer.
She knows what it feels like to enter a classroom after an exhausting workday. She remembers the fear of returning to school after more than 20 years and wondering whether she could keep up. She also understands what it takes to balance classes, work, parenting, and difficult changes at home.
Most importantly, Deanna knows how profoundly education can change a life, because Rockford Career College changed hers.
Today, Deanna leads RCC’s Medical Assistant program. More than a decade ago, however, she arrived on campus as a school bus driver searching for stability, purpose, and a better future for herself and her sons.
“I choose RCC because it changed my life,” she says, “and it can change your life.”
Looking for Something More
Driving a school bus was challenging, and Deanna knew it was not where she wanted to spend the rest of her working life.
“I wanted to build more of a career,” she recalls.
She had always been passionate about helping people, making healthcare feel like a natural direction. Medical assisting offered the opportunity to work closely with patients and healthcare professionals while making a meaningful difference.
Still, returning to school was intimidating. Deanna worried about retaining the information, keeping pace with younger students, completing the program, and finding employment afterward.
Her life was already demanding. Her oldest son had graduated, but her youngest was still in high school and active in football. Deanna was also going through a separation while managing a school bus schedule divided between early mornings and afternoons.
She drove her morning route, attended daytime classes, returned to work for her afternoon route, and then came back to RCC for evening classes. Through it all, she remained committed to attending her son’s practices, games, and other important events.
“It was pretty busy for me,” she says, a modest description of a schedule that required tremendous persistence.
Embracing Support and Finding Community
An admissions representative named Doreen helped Deanna believe she could succeed before she fully believed it herself.
Doreen continued checking on her throughout the program, and the two remain friends today. Deanna found that same compassion among her instructors. They taught her the professional skills she would need, but they also noticed when she was struggling and offered encouragement during difficult moments.
“They became so much more than teachers,” Deanna says. “They took the time to listen, encourage, and support me every step of the way.”
RCC became more than the place where Deanna attended classes. It became a community where she felt seen, supported, and capable of reaching her goals.
From Externship to Career
Near the end of her program, Deanna began her clinical externship.
Crusader Community Health was a trusted healthcare provider in the Rockford community, and it was also where Deanna had received care herself. It was exactly where she hoped to be.
“Crusader was absolutely a dream of mine,” she says. “It was like a pillar clinic in the community.”
After completing her externship, Deanna applied for a position and was hired. She spent nearly six years at Crusader, working primarily in women’s health while also gaining experience in urgent care, family practice, pediatrics, and other clinical settings.
The education and hands-on training she received at RCC helped her enter the medical field with confidence. Her professional experience then deepened her knowledge of patient care, teamwork, and communication.
Eventually, Deanna began wondering how she could share that experience with others.
Returning to RCC
Inspired by a physician who had become an important mentor, Deanna considered teaching. When a part-time instructor position opened at RCC, she decided to take a chance.
“I was like, ‘Just go for it. You never know,’” she remembers.
Deanna was hired as an adjunct instructor and began teaching evening classes while continuing to work full time at the clinic. After a full day in healthcare, she would rush to RCC and sometimes teach until 10:30 at night.
That demanding chapter led to something greater. Deanna advanced into program leadership and ultimately became the Medical Assistant Program Director.
The former student had returned to lead the program that helped launch her career.
Helping Students Reach the Stage
Deanna’s experiences allow her to connect with students who are working, raising families, facing personal challenges, or questioning whether they belong in college.
“I was once in their shoes,” she says. “I know exactly where they’re coming from, what they may be going through, and what it takes to actually get to the finish line.”
Deanna and her team regularly discuss which students are succeeding, who may be struggling, and who could benefit from additional encouragement or practice. She also hosts open labs where students can receive tutoring and strengthen their clinical skills.
Her goal extends beyond teaching medical procedures. Technical skills can develop through instruction and repetition, she explains, but successful medical assistants also need empathy, professionalism, composure, and strong communication.
Students must learn how to speak with patients, collaborate with coworkers, and communicate effectively with physicians, nurses, and clinic leaders. Those human skills are essential to making patients feel respected and cared for.
For Deanna, the greatest reward is watching students gain confidence, complete their programs, and begin careers of their own.
“The ultimate goal is to see them get across the stage,” she says. “There’s nothing more fulfilling than seeing that happen for them, just as it was for me.”
Deanna came to RCC hoping to create a more stable life. Along the way, she became a medical assistant, served patients throughout her community, discovered a passion for teaching, and returned to guide future healthcare professionals.
“Our ultimate goal is changing lives,” she says. “That’s what I love about this school. It changed my life, and now we are changing lives.”
Learn more about the Medical Assistant program at Rockford Career College and take the first step toward a meaningful healthcare career.
