A Love for Labor: MNTC Practical Nursing Graduate Finds Her Calling
![Liberty Mitchell Practical Nursing Alumni]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1738181384/mntechnologycom/dsdrkeynrrs7nvyev2ol/LibertyMitchell.png","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1738181384/mntechnologycom/dsdrkeynrrs7nvyev2ol/LibertyMitchell.png","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1738181384/mntechnologycom/dsdrkeynrrs7nvyev2ol/LibertyMitchell.png","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1738181384/mntechnologycom/dsdrkeynrrs7nvyev2ol/LibertyMitchell.png","width":1080}])
Life often takes us in unexpected directions, leading us to exactly where we’re meant to be. Registered nurse Liberty Mitchell found her true calling in a similar fashion and credits Moore Norman Technology Center for helping her get there.
After high school, Liberty attended the University of Central Oklahoma, changing majors several times before deciding to pursue nursing. A deeply personal experience — caring for her grandmother and her late husband during their illnesses — sparked her desire to make a meaningful difference in others’ lives. At age 24, she took the leap and enrolled in the practical nursing program at Moore Norman.
“Moore Norman’s LPN program had a great reputation,” Liberty recalls. “The program is only 10 months, so I could work part-time while completing the program and then go to work full-time as a nurse.”
While attending Moore Norman, Liberty worked weekends as a certified nursing assistant and spent some time working in the intensive care unit. She imagined herself as an ICU nurse, “battling death,” much like an episode of Grey’s Anatomy.
But during her training, she found herself intrigued by the obstetrics modules. “I really loved the scientific side of birth — the physiological processes of pregnancy and labor and birth were all fascinating to me,” she said.
After her first labor and delivery clinical, she recalls walking out at the end of day thinking, “I want to do this every day for the rest of my life.”
Upon graduating from Moore Norman and passing her licensure exam, Liberty worked in postpartum, antepartum and newborn care in Texas while also earning her associate and bachelor’s degrees in nursing. Now a labor and delivery nurse at Norman Regional Hospital, she is pursuing a master’s in nurse midwifery.
Liberty credits Moore Norman with setting her up for success. “I felt really well-prepared as an LPN, even compared to some nurses with bachelor’s degrees.”
Today, as an adjunct instructor for the same program, she’s giving back by mentoring future nurses.
“I work in this program that I graduated from because I believe in it,” she said. “I think it is the best program in the state of Oklahoma to truly prepare you to be a nurse.”
Liberty’s journey is an example of how the right training and dedication can transform a dream into a reality, building not just a career but a life of purpose and service. Moore Norman Technology Center provides practical training to equip students like Liberty for meaningful careers that blend skill, passion and impact – ultimately preparing them for a future that works.
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About Moore Norman Technology Center
Established in 1972, Moore Norman Technology Center is viewed as one of the nation's premiere career and technical educational institutions within Oklahoma's globally recognized Career Tech system. Serving the Cleveland County communities of Moore, Norman, and south Oklahoma City, MNTC provides high school and adult students with an innovative technical career education. MNTC also offers customized workforce training to area companies allowing them to shore up their teams and achieve their business goals. Visit mntc.edu to learn more about classes and programs at Moore Norman Technology Center.
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