What I've Learned: Dianna Dean

Dianna Dean graduated from Lyndon B. Johnson High School in 1978. As a single mother, she knew that she wanted to continue her education to support herself and her family. Dean started her education at ACC in 1978 and graduated from the Licensed Vocational Nurse [LVN] program two years later.

According to Dean, passing the pre-entry exam into the LVN program at ACC solidified the start of her nursing career.

"After graduating from high school, two of my best girl friends and I applied to take the pre-entry nursing exam, and I was the only one who passed," said Dean. "When I shared that with my mother, who was a nurses aide at the time, she helped me realize that the program was a great thing."

Once Dean got into the nursing program she started taking her nursing classes at Eastview Campus, before transitioning into the Brackenridge Hospital School of Nursing where she completed her degree in 1980.

She recalls enjoying the small class sizes and the friendless of professors.

"The program was very convenient for me. I lived in east Austin so I could catch the bus to and from school," said Dean. "The instructors were very down to earth, allowing you to learn the material and the skills with ease."

According to Dean, the LVN program was a great way to make the switch from being a student to joining the workforce.

"It helped me grow and move forward when I graduated the vocational nursing program," said Dean. "I was able to go right into Brackenridge Hospital and work as a professional nurse. The money [as an LVN] was great back then, and I have never been without a job to this day."

While working in conjunction with Brackenridge Hospital, Dean joined the Jefferson Street Family Practice, formally called East Side Family Practice, in 1984.

According to Dean, it was the first clinic in Austin to service people infected with HIV. "I started working with patients who were very sick with AIDS. The patients would come in with 105 to 106 degree temperatures," said Dean. "They were so sick because they didn't have the information on the disease, and there were not a lot of anti-viral medications out there to help slow down and stop the virus."

Dean worked for the practice until Feb. 2001 when she landed the position as Campus Nurse at Huston-Tillotson University. Currently, she runs the Health and Wellness Center that serves the 900 students who attend the college. Her services include STD screenings, information on HIV and disease prevention, pregnancy, as well as assisting with injuries.

"I run a very tight ship," said Dean. "I do a lot of teaching and help students learn how to advocate the importance of prevention education."

Dean is also the co-director for Huston-Tillotson Health Connection HIV/AIDS peer educators, which helps manage HIV prevention and health services. With big ambitions, she hopes to open up a center to support foster teenagers and pregnant teenagers living with HIV.

"My passion is HIV/AIDS prevention," said Dean.  "Because the health care cost is rising so I like to keep the students healthier and provide information that they would need," said Dean. "Hopefully they can apply that information to everyday life."

Dean said she didn't always know she wanted to be a nurse but sometimes "your calling calls you," and that the LVN program changed her life.

"I thank God for the ACC nursing school, said Dean."I enjoyed every minute of it."