Success Stories

Dr. John Pierce

For Army veteran John Pierce, the decision to return to college would mean the difference between his dead-end job as security in a Las Vegas bar and achieving his dream of becoming a doctor. The only thing that kept him from going back to college was fear; the fear of not being able to pick up where he left off when he dropped out in 1992; the fear of being behind in classes such as chemistry; and the fear of not being able to fit classes into his full-time work schedule at the nightclub.

Fortunately for Pierce, his co-worker, Diana Hampton, kept pushing him to return to school. He recalls that Diana, (then a bartender and now a Henderson Municipal Court Judge), "pestered me so much that I had to give in and start back just to keep her off my back."

After nearly a four-year break, Pierce returned to the College of Southern Nevada (CSN) in 1996 and was happy to find that his fears were completely unfounded. Night, weekend and online classes were available that fit around his work schedule, and the teachers gave him the help and support he needed to achieve academic success.

Pierce started with a summer class in Human Anatomy and Physiology, “to get his feet wet,” and found that it was not as hard as he had anticipated. “Dr. Fred Jackson was my professor. I thoroughly enjoyed his method of teaching, and that made the class easier for me,” said Pierce. “One day he pulled me aside and inquired what I was planning on doing with my education. I explained how I had thought of medical school, but I was apprehensive about my ability to pursue that goal. Dr. Jackson encouraged me to strive to accomplish what I really wanted.”

Pierce was also mentored by CSN chemistry professor, Dr. Caroline Collins, who allowed him to sit in on a few classes until he felt comfortable enough to tackle her class the next semester. Pierce describes Collins as “a dynamic educator who made learning fun.”

After earning an associate degree from CSN in 1997, Pierce enrolled at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, but continued to take classes at CSN. He was still working full time at the nightclub and some of the classes he needed as prerequisites for medical school were not offered at the university with times that were compatible with his work schedule.

In 1998, Pierce became the first member of his family to graduate from college when he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology from UNLV. He went on to complete medical school, earning his Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from Western University in 2003.

Dr. Pierce adds that he is grateful he was able to use the GI Bill and Army College Fund to aid him in getting through his undergraduate studies. “I wouldn't be where I am today if not for the encouragement I got from some very special people at CSN,” says Pierce. “I hope that my story inspires some of our veterans/heroes returning to civilian life to pursue their dreams and aspirations.”