Arizona nurse educator and mother of seven earns sixth degree
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - One Arizona nurse earned another degree this weekend during National Nurses Month.
52-year-old Dr. Lokelani Ahyo is a nurse, mother of seven, and nursing professor.
Now, she just earned her sixth college degree with a Bachelor's in Psychology.
She also fell in love with teaching and became a nursing professor at Southern New Hampshire University where she just earned her Bachelor's in Psychology.
"It felt great, and it also feels like a stepping stone," said Dr. Lokelani Ahyo. "And it’s an inside joke in our family 'Okay mom what’s the next degree you’re going for.'"
Dr. Ahyo now has two associate’s degrees, a bachelor’s, master’s, and a doctorate.
She started nursing after her third son was born and said her midwife was a big inspiration.
She said she went through nursing school with four young children, worked full time, and went to school full time.
She was an RN at Yuma Regional Medical Center and found a second passion through teaching at Southern New Hampshire University.
"I honestly had never intended to go into nursing education, and I just fell in love with it," said Dr. Ahyo. "I fell in love with the connections I made with my students and the way I was able to help them use their experiences to become even better nurses.
Now, she's the chapter president of the Arizona Nurses Association.
“I love what I do," said Dr. Ahyo. "I found two full passions in nursing, and nursing is an incredible profession to be able to do multiple things, multiple specialties, so I got lucky."
She was driven to pursue her latest degree, her BA in Psychology, after her son’s diagnosis with Schizoaffective Disorder. With the degree, she hopes to help young adults with their mental health through a mental health practitioner program.
With the national nursing shortage, she also hopes to grow the next generation of nurses through her teaching.
Congratulations Dr. Ahyo! We are so proud of you and all the other nurses out there this National Nurses Month!
