National Park College (NPC) student Shannon Blackburn was named student of the month
for April.
Blackburn, a Medical Laboratory Technology student, is originally from Somerset, OH.
She graduated in 2000 from Sheridan High School in Thornville, OH. After high school,
she went into the Air Force where she spent 20 years as an aircraft mechanic until
2020 when she retired.
Blackburn explained how Arkansas became her home.
“We have some friends from Mount Ida, AR we met when stationed in the United Kingdom.
They invited us for vacation, and we loved it enough to make Royal, AR our forever
home,” Blackburn said.
Blackburn plans to graduate from NPC in 2027. When asked why she is pursuing a Medical
Laboratory Technology degree, she said, “I’ve always been interested in science, and
running tests with minimal face-to-face patient interaction sounds like a win for
me.”
Blackburn said she chose NPC because it is close to home. “My friends from the Air
Force recommended it and said NPC had an amazing veterans advisor, and the environment
has a good life balance feel to it. The people are friendly and respectful, both employees
and students.”
When Blackburn is not studying, she enjoys arts and crafts. “I love doing all the
creative stuff, painting, drawing, polymer clay, small crafts, pick a medium and I've
probably played with it,” said Blackburn.
After graduating from NPC, Blackburn plans to work at a local hospital or clinic.
Associate Professor of Biology Tommy Finley said, “Shannon is an excellent student. She
is always engaged in class as materials are covered. Shannon is a very motivated student
with an amazing work ethic and is thus very prepared for exams because she works hard
to actually learn the material. I sincerely believe that Shannon will be successful
in her career path moving forward.”
Associate Professor of Chemistry Utter Shrestha said, “Ms. Blackburn is a wonderful
student who wants to learn and understand the concepts in depth. She is a very good
communicator with me and with her friends. She is very helpful when someone asks for
help with the class material. I am impressed with her preparedness for both lectures
and labs. Whenever she needs, she does not hesitate to ask questions and the way she
asks questions shows her preparedness. She also has a good habit of writing notes
and explaining the concepts in detail. She is very engaged in all the activities for
the class. Her good behavior, punctuality, hardworking nature, and persistent dedication
are the noticeable qualities I believe will make her successful in any field she wants
to pursue.”
“It’s nice to be recognized as a good student. I don’t know if it’s maybe easier for
me because I don’t have a lot of outside distractions at this stage in life. I’m here
because I want to be here for a purpose, not because someone told me it was the next
expected step on my life’s path. Thank you for this award,” said Blackburn.
