Ryan Lewis rather liked the pizza that sat steaming in front of him. Better yet, it was free — compliments of the restaurant owner, son of Lewis’s former patient.

“People remember how you treat them in the hospital,” he said.

It’s a lesson he learned at COTC. Though neither are still nurses, Lewis and his wife Andrea launched their careers through the college’s nursing program. Now, they’re working to serve their own slice of gratitude: a scholarship for students starting that same journey.

We feel a responsibility to take care of people and positively affect lives. COTC showed us how many, many times.

As a preteen, Ryan realized healthcare was his calling. Eventually, the Newark native parlayed his caring spirit and experience in a nursing home into a spot in COTC’s associate degree nursing program. He explored his curiosities about the body. He improved his observational and analytical abilities.

Above all, “I saw the value of treating patients as patients rather than numbers,” Ryan relayed. “The instructors really drove that idea home for me.” Their influence drove him to make a difference, a vow he made as his career began at Licking Memorial Hospital.

Andrea’s arc started shortly thereafter. For years, she had sidestepped her mother’s suggestion to study nursing.

“I had absolutely no interest until we had our oldest child,” Andrea revealed. “My nurses were amazing, and I wanted to make great experiences for others.”

Her experience at COTC was aided by Ryan’s gratifying ride. “I felt more comfortable knowing he had gone through the program,” she said. Carefully taught coursework complemented the practical, people-first skills Andrea developed through many clinical opportunities. At the pinning ceremony, her beloved husband placed her pin, putting a bow on their academic odyssey.

“We had each found our first real job,” Ryan said, “which we obtained because of our COTC education.”

They’re still using it, although their jobs look different now. After a devoted decade-plus in nursing, Andrea now works for a startup value-based care company, communicating directly with healthcare providers to advocate for fair patient treatment. Ryan is a real estate agent, always approaching clients as more than mere numbers in his database.

“COTC gave us the roots and the personal skills to accommodate any career,” he said.

Their scholarship shares access to that same transformational education by rewarding a deserving nursing student every year.

“We understand the struggle and possibilities behind that degree,” Ryan asserted. “It feels good to help students on a similar journey.”

The Lewises earned the reciprocation of that free pizza before ever donating their dough. By putting their money where their meaningful care once was, their generosity has risen. They’re using what COTC taught them and epitomizing this community’s compassion.

“COTC makes such a positive impact,” Andrea said. “I hope we can help build upon it.”