Alumna Gabrielle Boone combined athletics and nursing for rewarding career
Certified Nurse Practitioner Gabrielle Boone dedicates herself to doing her best and
serving her community.
Gabrielle Boone is no stranger to determination and hard work.
"After all, anything worth doing shouldn't be easy," Boone said. She should know; dedication to doing her best has led this Meridian Community College alumna on a path of success that began on a softball field.
Boone is board certified nurse practitioner working alongside patients to manage treatment options for their conditions. "What I love about nurse practitionering and serving this community is the impact you can make. It's a unique service I get to provide – helping patients get back on their feet and move better," she said.
In 2006, Boone, a Quitman High School student, was recruited to play softball for MCC's Lady Eagles. "I wanted to continue my career as an athlete, so it was a perfect combination of academics and athletics," she said. It was a rewarding time, Boone said, noting she made friends with other athletes and played with two who were Canadians.
She decided her second year of playing softball would be her first year of study in the College's Associate Degree Nursing Program. "That was something not many others had done. But I was determined to do it," she said. She also gained support from others.
"I had classmates tape the class with a portable recorder, and I would later listen to the lecture on the charter bus on the way to games," she said, adding her nursing instructors were accommodating.
After her sophomore softball season ended, she began working in a healthcare clinic while continuing her second year of nursing studies. "So, I had the opportunity to work and be around patients. It was a unique combination of acute injuries that I had been somewhat exposed to in my career as an athlete," she said. From there, her love for the nurse practitioner field grew.
Boone received her Associate Degree in Nursing from MCC and continued her studies, earning her bachelor of science in nursing from the University of Southern Mississippi and working as a registered nurse. She began her studies at Delta State University to earn a master of science – nurse practitioner tract. During her master's work, Boone became an MCC nursing instructor in the ADN program. "I was surrounded by such awesome leadership, Betty Davis, to name one,” she said.
She taught at her alma mater for two years. "I absolutely loved working at MCC! I loved my role," she said. The clinic she worked with earlier contacted Boone, so she returned to work with patients. "To improve someone's quality of life and keep them functioning – that's the goal," she said.
Boone continues to serve her community as a wound care specialist.
The alumna and her husband, Matt, also an MCC graduate, have been married for 13 years and have two sons, Cannon, 7, and Cal, 4.
She credits MCC for her start. "From the instructors, the coaches – they inspired, motivated, and encouraged me to be where I am today," she said.
"MCC was worth it. I use what I learn there today and every day. The instruction I received prepared me for life and the work and job duties I do today. And it helped me be successful," she said.
Boone added, "It all started because of Meridian Community College."
To learn more about how you can find your wings, visit meridiancc.edu.