BLOOMINGTON – Amanda Todd, a nursing student at Ivy Tech Community College’s Bloomington campus, earned the Indiana Career and Technical Education Award for Excellence in the postsecondary student category. The award was presented on behalf of the Indiana Department of Education and the Indiana Association of Career and Technical Education. Todd was recognized at a public ceremony on Tuesday, Feb. 26 at the Indiana Government Center in Indianapolis, Ind.
Todd earned a bachelor’s degree with a double major in psychology and religious studies from DePauw University in 2013. She studied European Clinical Psychology abroad in Copenhagen, Demark in 2012, where she earned a Platinum Leadership Award for her work at an after-school resource center for young, female immigrants. She also taught English in Taiwan for two years after she graduated college. When she returned to the States in 2015, Todd earned a teaching degree and license in Indiana and taught elementary education in Bedford.
“I tried to declare a medical major when I started at DePauw in 2009, but I had a difficult first year in the sciences and changed my degree pathway,” she said. “Nevertheless, I became an educator who encouraged others to follow their dreams, whereas I had not. I decided to face my own fear and enroll in Anatomy and Physiology at Ivy Tech, where I thrived and my confidence was restored. I knew I had to follow my dream of becoming a student in the medical field.”
Todd is on track to graduate from Ivy Tech Bloomington in May with an Associate of Science in Nursing and plans to continue her education until she earns a master’s degree in nursing.
“I quickly chose Ivy Tech’s nursing program because it is known as one of the most competitive and comprehensive programs,” Todd said. “I have many interests in the field of nursing, and I hope to become a nurse practitioner and possibly an educator later in my career.”
Todd has earned seven scholarships during her studies at Ivy Tech. She also served as the president of the Lee J. Marchant School of Nursing “nursing club.” Through the club, she organized teams to participate in the local, annual Hoosiers Outrun Cancer event, and collected supplies for local organizations such as the Shalom Center, as well as the Kiwanis Kloset [sic] at a local elementary school.
She is an educator “who loves to learn” and is an “explorer.” Todd has traveled to over 20 different countries on five continents.
About Ivy Tech Community College
Ivy Tech Community College is Indiana's largest public postsecondary institution and the nation's largest singly accredited statewide community college system, accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Ivy Tech has campuses throughout Indiana and also serves thousands of students annually online. It serves as the state's engine of workforce development, offering associate degrees, long- and short-term certificate programs, industry certifications, and training that aligns with the needs of the community. The College provides a seamless transfer to other colleges and universities in Indiana, as well as out of state, for a more affordable route to a bachelor's degree.
