(Northeast Community College Feature) A Northeast Nebraska couple took advantage of dual credit classes, a program called Fridays@Northeast, and the federal TRIO SSS program to get a fast start on their nursing careers.
Jared and Grace (Jansen) Bessmer both planned to go into the medical field when they met during their senior year of high school.
Jared is from Osmond and had originally planned to study to be a paramedic. Grace attended Hartington High and always knew she wanted to be a nurse with an advanced degree.
Fast forward six years, and Jared is an RN in the Faith Regional ICU in Norfolk, and Grace works part time at Faith Regional and is about to begin her third and final year of study to earn a DNP (Doctor of Nursing Practice) from Nebraska Methodist College.
Both Grace and Jared came to Northeast with dual credit hours.
“I had done for sure 36 credit hours,” Grace said. “So I had already done a lot of work toward my first year of nursing and had a head start on my pre-reqs for nursing school.”
Whether students are aiming to pursue a bachelor’s degree or seeking a fast track to a career, the program provides a range of options, including both general education and career and technical education courses.
"I started at Northeast with 29 credit hours,” Jared said. “Doing the dual credit classes as well as the Fridays@ Northeast truly contributed to college success. It just gave me a major head start.”
Fridays @ Northeast is an unusual opportunity for high school seniors to spend Fridays on the campus as college students, using lab spaces and classrooms.
“I did the EMT program during the year of Fridays@Northeast,” Jared
said. "I knew after that where my passion lies. I wanted to help people in emergency situations.”
Jared and Grace selected Northeast for their first nursing degrees because it was close to their homes, affordable, DUAL CREDIT, FRIDAYS GIVE BESSMERS LEG UP and the nursing program has a good reputation.
“The nursing program here is well known to prepare students for the real world," Jared said. "They definitely want to make sure we are successful on the NCLEX (National Council Licensure Examination) and post NCLEX.”
At Northeast, the couple were part of the TRIO SSS program, designed to provide extra support for first generation or low-income students and those with disabilities.
“TRIO for me answered questions about what to do next,” Grace explained. "Things like financial aid, what are smart ways to use my money in college, and they helped me apply for scholarships.”
Jared has been deaf since birth and was referred to TRiO by Disabilities Services.
"TRiO made us take this first-year experience class that was taught by one of the TRIO people,” he said. “And they cover how to be money smart, how to study for classes, how to use your time wisely, that college is not all fun and games and there is an academic part behind it, how to be successful.
“Between TRIO and the Disabili- ties Services Office they really made sure that I had the resources and the academic help I needed to succeed – both in class and outside class,” Jared said. “They made sure I stayed on the right path throughout classes and if there was anything they could do to help.”
Through TRIO, Grace and Jared took a trip to New York.
“It really broadened our experience,” Grace said. “There was learning to it. We went to museums and other sites. But there was fun and some tours, too.
“It was a heck of an experience,” Jared said. “We had to raise some money for it, but it was a very cheap trip for us.”
After graduating from Northeast, Grace earned her bachelor’s degree through UNMC and applied to Methodist’s Doctor of Nursing Practice program. She is on track to graduate on July 31, 2026.
After earning his RN, Jared has been working in the ICU at Faith Regional, and more recently has worked some in the emergency room.
“It’s just the adrenalin,” he said of his desire to be in emergency medicine, “walking into unknown situations, the immediate need for help. It’s a terrible day for them, and I want to be that light for them, to help them get through that situation, get them the help they need, get them to where they need to be.”
Last fall, Jared returned to Northeast and enrolled in the paramedic program. His goal is to be a flight nurse.
Jared and Grace were married in October 2023 and now live in Plainview. They credit Northeast with helping them achieve their career goals.
Grace said she encourages people she knows to come to Northeast.
“I just feel like it is a good place to start, and just as good as a larger school,” she said. “It was less expensive, too, and close to home.”
“I feel like all of our teachers wanted us to be successful,” Jared added. “Through Fridays@Northeast, I already knew some of the instructors I would have throughout the paramedic and nursing programs. I was able to develop a close relationship with all of the instructors and everyone I had in class. Northeast has always been here since day one for me. I’ve always done everything through Northeast.”
Any student interested in learning more about Northeast Community College may visit northeast.edu/admissions.
Northeast Community College encourages all alumni to share their stories by visiting northeast.edu/giving/ alumni.
