January 15, 2025

 It’s been a little more than a month since Dennisia Batts and her daughter, Kylie Brown, graduated from East Mississippi Community College.

For Batts, her Dec. 5 graduation from the Associate Degree Nursing program on EMCC’s Golden Triangle campus was the culmination of a protracted educational journey fraught with obstacles, heartbreak and, ultimately, joy.

“All the trials and tribulations I endured didn’t matter,” Batts said. “To be able to graduate with my daughter and share that with her was amazing. I would have gone through all the hardships three times over to experience that.”

On Dec. 13, Brown graduated with honors in a commencement ceremony on EMCC’s Scooba campus. While her mother was working full time and taking classes on EMCC’s Golden Triangle campus, Brown resided in student housing on the Scooba campus where she was immersed in college activities.

A member of the Student Government Association, the Baptist Student Union and Phi Theta Kappa, Brown also served as a resident assistant for the Women’s Honor Hall. She was nominated to the Homecoming Court in 2023 and in 2024 and served on the Lions cheerleading team.

“Kylie is a very hard-working student,” EMCC English instructor and Phi Theta Kappa advisor Derrick Conner said. “She is driven, conscientious, and succeeds at anything that she tries. I have no doubt she will be successful in everything she does.”

Batts, an Ackerman native who resides in Mathiston, is a two-time graduate of EMCC who first completed the Practical Nursing program before later returning to enroll in the Associate Degree Nursing program’s LPN to RN Transition option.

Brown, who earned her associate degree in general studies, is following in her mother’s footsteps and enrolled this term in the Practical Nursing program on EMCC’s Scooba campus, where she plans to continue her extracurricular activities.

“I love my experience at EMCC,” Brown said. “Everyone is welcoming. I am treated with respect and my instructors are very informative. I am really enjoying it.”

At an early age, Batts knew she wanted to become a nurse. After she graduated from what was then Ackerman High School, she became pregnant.

“Everything changed then,” Batts said.

With a child to support, she needed work. Batts enrolled and completed a certified nursing assistant program, working in that field for 17 years. She liked the work, especially helping other people, but the pay was not what she needed it to be and the passing years didn’t dull her desire to become a nurse.

In 2007, she enrolled in nursing school but failed out of the program.

“I was depressed and just didn’t think I could do it,” Batts said.

The years passed and the self-doubt and fear of a repeat failure was replaced with a growing desire and determination to try again. In 2019 she applied and was accepted into EMCC’s Practical Nursing program.

Shortly after that, EMCC, like other educational institutions across the U.S., switched to remote instruction in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I was skeptical about that but my instructors were helpful and showed me how to access everything online,” Batts said. “I actually did much better because I was able to go at my own pace.”

In July 2020, Batts graduated from the Practical Nursing program in a drive-through pinning ceremony held outdoors at The Communiversity at EMCC to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 infections. Rather than take her state licensing exam right away as she was encouraged to do while the coursework was fresh on her mind, Bates opted to begin work right away on a temporary license.

“I think that kind of messed me up and I was unsuccessful when I took the exam,” Batts said.

A second attempt was also unsuccessful and Batts’ temporary license had expired so she could no longer work. She feared she had failed a third time when she did not receive affirmation of her test results right away.

“I just felt my whole world was over at that point,” Batts said.

She was elated when she discovered she had actually passed the test and she went to work at Louisville Healthcare.

Batts later decided she wanted to further her education and in 2022 she enrolled in EMCC’s Associate Degree Nursing LPN to RN Transition option. She failed out of the program the first semester, missing a passing grade by a tenth of a point.

“I told myself, ‘You’ve got to dust yourself off and get back in,’” she said.

She was accepted back into the program the following semester and completed her studies.

“People see what you’ve accomplished, but most of them don’t know the story behind your success,” Batts said. “It took a lot of sacrifices and a lot of willpower. It was in my soul to do this. Nobody knew what I was going through but Kylie because she was at home with me.”

EMCC Associate Degree Nursing instructor Michele Stewart described Batts as a hardworking and dedicated student.

“Dennisia gave it 110 percent on everything she did,” Stewart said. “She had so much perseverance and never stopped. She set a goal and she achieved her goals.”

Brown said she is proud of her mother.

“She has been a role model for me,” Brown said.

The mother and daughter are close. Brown resides on EMCC’s Scooba campus during the week and returns home most weekends so the two can spend time together. They are both active in church and frequently meet for lunch on those days when time allows.

“That’s when we do a lot of our talking about what’s ahead for Kylie and what her plan is,” Batts said.

Brown said, like her mother, she wants to further her education so she can become a registered nurse and eventually a nurse practitioner.

“I love children and want to specialize in pediatrics,” Brown said. “My mom has been a big inspiration for me. She motived me to go ahead and finish my education so I can prepare for my future.”

 Batts also has a son, Tylan Carter, who may soon enroll at EMCC.

“He is interested in Surgical Technology and wants to try to get into that program next semester,” Batts said.