"I always felt like nursing was a calling for me," says Jessie Dragoo, 34 years and several advances into a career in that field.
After starting as a volunteer candy striper in rural Arkansas, she earned an associate's degree in nursing and went to work, eventually landing at St. John. After rising from night shift to shift supervisor to manager, Dragoo went back to school - while still working full-time - for the bachelor's degree she would need to move into leadership positions. Two promotions later, she is St. John's vice president of nursing, a position she had a hand in creating to help the organization deal with recruiting, strategic planning and other issues.
"I like change, and I like to learn new things," Dragoo says by way of explaining the evolution of her career. "And opportunities have been here for me."