June 25, 2026
Ferris State nursing graduate Charniece Beach faces rollercoaster education journey, thrives as healthcare professional
Charniece Beach is no stranger to adversity, and the 37-year-old Ferris State University graduate refused to let anything, or anyone, stand in the way of her receiving her bachelor’s degree in Nursing.
Although the journey to get there could have derailed her at any given moment, Beach is grateful she stuck through the challenges to help the trajectory of her career.
“Through everything in life, especially outside of academics, the message has been loud and clear from my professors and advisors at Ferris State: just keep going,” Beach said.
She first attempted to receive her degree from a local community college but fell victim to what she described as discrimination and harassment.
“It was heartbreaking. I was within 12 to 16 weeks of graduation, and the situation just blew up to the point where I was (moments) from walking away from nursing entirely,” she recalled.
Fortunately for Beach, her years of experience as a licensed practical nurse paid off at a critical moment, as one of her former coworkers insisted that she look into transferring to West Shore Community College.
The WSCC director of Nursing and her advisors made it clear that her poor experience at her first institution would never be replicated, which persuaded Beach to take the leap of faith and continue pursuing higher education.
Her experience improved tremendously as Beach thrived towards her associate degree to continue working as a nurse. But her healthcare career began long before she pursued a college degree.
She was never close to her large family, but Beach took on the role of taking care of her disabled brother since she was just a young girl. Just over a decade ago, her father, who was a “big part” of her education journey, suffered a series of strokes and became physically disabled. At just 24 years old, she took on guardianship of her father to take care of him while also raising her oldest son while he was still a toddler.
Two-and-a-half years later, she met her husband. The couple would have three children together, solidifying Beach’s journey as a full-time student, professional, wife, and mother of four all in one.
Fast forward to her final semester at WSCC, she faced the significant loss of her father. Beach admitted that without the help of her family and the support group she built at West Shore, she “probably never would have made it” to graduation.
Beach's support and motivation from her husband and children was tenfold, as it helped her to navigate some of the biggest academic challenges of her journey.
“Honestly, next to Ferris State, I think West Shore has some of the best Nursing faculty,” she said. “My family support system, especially, are my biggest cheerleaders. My husband, his parents, my best friends, everyone has seen me overcome everything shy of a divorce during my educational journey.”
She explained that birth of all four of her children happened at pivotal moments of her life. Her oldest helped her to realize that nursing was the profession for her, as the birth of her oldest daughter came with a near-fatal reality.
“I was 30 when I had her, and I almost died. She was a lot of motivation, beyond my academic or nursing career, to get me back in physical shape and take care of myself,” Beach recalled.
Her twins helped Beach to overcome the final hurdle of her higher ed journey, as it reminded her nothing in life can stop her from receiving her bachelor’s degree besides herself.
Beach said that there were moments when she felt guilty for missing family time, but the tremendous amount of support and praise she received for pursuing her bachelor’s at Ferris State is what helped her become a Bulldog for life – which she agreed changed her life for the better.
She echoed that same message for fellow Bulldogs struggling in their own path.
“There’s uncomfortableness in growth but take comfort in the discomfort. It’s uncomfortable to experience growth, especially someone like me who’s struggled with self-confidence or belief in my abilities,” she added.
Having worked in several specialties as a nurse, with the most current being in labor and delivery, she knows for certain that she eventually wants to transition into being a family nurse practitioner, as her passion to advocate for the voiceless and those who lack supportive representation remain as a top priority as a health professional.
“Regardless of whom I take care of; I give all my patients the upmost respect. I will always advocate for them,” Beach said. “The way I want to make a difference, regardless of what my role is, is to be the voice for those who need security, safety, and recognition while seeking healthcare needs.”
She’s proven to herself that higher ed is well worth the unexpected obstacles that come along with the journey, and Beach now has her eyes set on furthering her education with the likelihood of attending Frontier Nursing University.
However, she noted that Ferris State isn’t out of the question, as her second-to-none experience remains close to heart.