We’re still here: Janet Koehler ’20

Janet Koehler ’20 of Kaukauna, Wisconsin, is planning a future in nursing after graduation this month. She is majoring in chemistry-biology.

“After graduation, I plan on spending as much quality time with my daughter, Sophia, as I can,” Koehler says. “I currently work at Mercy Medical Center as a telemetry technician and plan to continue working for the next year to better life for Sophia and myself. After that year, I intend to go back to school to get my RN license and bachelor’s in science of nursing.”

The most important lesson she learned at Ripon College is to communicate, she says. “I had an abnormal college experience, generally speaking, between having a child and living off campus,” she says. “This caused some unexpected rough patches, but being able to communicate with professors allowed me to continue getting my education and gain valuable life experiences I would not have otherwise had.”

Koehler is finishing the semester off campus because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and an on-campus Commencement ceremony is being planned for October. “Overall, transferring to online classes was beneficial for me as I no longer had an hour commute to class and I was able to be at home with my daughter, Sophia,” she says. “Although I am disappointed to not be able to see my friends at college and having graduation pushed back.”