When Tabby Heitmeier found herself struggling in a traditional high school setting at 17, she made a brave decision that ultimately set her on a promising health care career path. Rather than continuing to struggle, she chose to leave her traditional high school setting and find an alternative that worked better for her learning style.

“I wasn’t quite understanding all my homework,” Heitmeier explains. “I asked to be put in a different class with fewer students because I’d been held back once before. It was kind of embarrassing for me to get up in front of everybody to ask questions.”

With the support of her high school recognizing her unique needs, Heitmeier was empowered to take charge of her education and create a path that truly worked for her. With her parents’ understanding and encouragement, she reached out to Sandburg, where she discovered the support she needed to thrive. Through the college’s Integrated Career and Academic Preparation Systems (ICAPS) program, Heitmeier found a path forward.

With guidance from Linda Thomas, coordinator of Sandburg’s Carthage campus and evening adult education instructor for ROE#33, Heitmeier completed her Illinois High School Diploma just before turning 18. The smaller class sizes and personalized attention made possible through the ICAPS made all the difference.

“When I was finishing my Illinois High School Diploma, there was only a small group of us, like six or seven at the most,” she says. “Linda, our ICAPS support person, did an amazing job of coming to each and every one of us and helping us when we needed it. We didn’t even have to ask for help. If we looked like we were struggling, she’d come up and help us.”

This positive experience led Heitmeier to continue her education at Sandburg, following in the footsteps of her mother, who’d also earned her GED and CNA certification through the college. With health care in her family background—her mother worked as a CNA for 17 years and her grandmother had also been in the field—Heitmeier enrolled in Sandburg’s certified nursing assistant (CNA) course. Enrollment in the CNA course was also covered by ICAPS and came with additional financial support.

“It was just me wanting to be a nurse at first,” Heitmeier said. “And then my grandpa passing away made me really want to go into health care to be a CNA, either in a home or a nursing home or in a hospital.”

Learning from instructor Leah Knowles, Heitmeier excelled in the CNA class. Now 19, she recently completed her coursework and is preparing for her state board examination while gaining valuable experience at Carthage Memorial Hospital, where she began working in July.

“If I had to recommend a school to anybody, it’d be Sandburg,” Heitmeier said. “When you need something, they’ll help you figure it out. They’re just really welcoming.”

Heitmeier’s health care journey isn’t stopping with the CNA certification. She discovered an unexpected passion when her job allowed her to remove IVs for nurses during patient discharges. This experience sparked her interest in phlebotomy—the practice of drawing blood from patients for laboratory testing.

“I just began to like that,” Heitmeier said. “Then they had a phlebotomy class come up back at Sandburg; so I just decided to take it and to see where it would lead me.”

Heitmeier’s supervisor arranged for her to shadow in the hospital’s laboratory, where she found an environment that resonated with her.

“The three days that I was shadowing down there, it wasn’t just me observing—it was how people are down there. I guess they don’t work longer shifts; so they’re technically in better moods. They’re just a different type of people, just way nicer than anybody else I’ve really met where I work.”

Though she loves working on the hospital floor, Heitmeier believes she’s found her calling.

“I’ve always been told that you’ll always find your passion in health care,” she said. “I think I’ve done that with phlebotomy.”

Heitmeier began her four-month phlebotomy program at Sandburg in May, with hopes of eventually transferring to a laboratory position at the hospital. Though her instructor encouraged her to consider the licensed practical nurse (LPN) program this fall, Heitmeier is content with her current path at the moment.

“I really am not sure if I want to go on more than that,” Heitmeier said, though she acknowledged she might consider becoming a medical laboratory technician in the future.

As part of a family of four sisters, all interested in health care careers, Heitmeier is blazing a trail through Sandburg’s career pathway programs. Following her mother’s example and encouragement, she’s found the right educational environment for her learning style, the support of the ICAPS program, and a health care specialty that matches her talents and interests.

“She’s the one that pushed me to go to Sandburg,” Heitmeier said of her mother, “and said it was a great school.”