When DeAundre separated from the Marine Corps in 2023, he traded one kind of service for another. He came to a Central Region Job Center in January 2024, unemployed but clear about what he wanted next: a career built around helping people.
That clarity led him to nursing. With support from the WIOA Dislocated Worker program, the EDA Good Jobs Challenge Grant, and Healthy Blue, the Central Workforce Development Region helped DeAundre ease the financial burden of returning to school so he could focus on his studies.
In May 2026, DeAundre graduated from the nursing program at State Fair Community College’s Sedalia campus with an Associate Degree in Nursing. Today, he works as a Registered Nurse for MU Healthcare in Columbia, caring for patients in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit, one of the most demanding environments in the hospital.
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“The WIOA program helped me successfully transition from military service to the civilian workforce by easing the financial burden associated with pursuing a degree,” DeAundre said. “With the support provided through this program, I was able to dedicate more time to my studies and focus on achieving my career goals. As a result, I successfully earned my Associate Degree in Nursing and moved closer to building the career I envisioned.”
Way to go, DeAundre!
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