Outstanding Graduate Lydia Brady Followed Her Heart — Straight Into Owens’ First Cardiac Sonography Cohort
She’s only been out of high school for four years, but Lydia Brady is set to graduate in May with her second associate degree from Owens Community College.
A Business Transfer Pathway graduate in 2023, Brady decided against pursuing the completion of a bachelor’s degree and instead followed her heart as a member of the first cohort of the cardiac sonography program.
It was a redemptive arc of sorts for Brady, who had previously applied to the diagnostic sonography program before going the business route.
“I was set to go to a four-year college online and get a job in a marketing firm, but I realized it was not what I wanted to do,” Brady said. “I was debating applying for the sonography program again and my mom encouraged me to do what I was going to enjoy doing. I heard about the cardiac program opening and knew that’s what I wanted to do, and I couldn’t be happier with this route.”
Not only will she graduate with an Associate of Applied Science in Cardiac Sonography, she is the program’s outstanding graduate.
“The smaller classes give so much more direct impact from instructors. The program is really set up for success. They prepared us to perform high-quality echoes, provide excellent patient care and also prepare us for applying for jobs in the field,” Brady said.
Brady said the experience in the program was made better by her classmates, who shared the experience of going through the program and embarking on clinicals together. She also said instructor Mary Sizemore gave the class a smooth experience and prepared them for each new step in the program.
“There were days I think everyone in my class may have doubted our abilities when we first started and during open lab after a tough scan or practical, but everything kind of falls into place with hard work,” she said. “We trusted the process and put in hard work and helped each other along the way.”
Next up is taking her Registered Diagnostic Cardiac Sonographer certification and a job at Toledo Cardiology Consultants.
Learn More About Cardiac Sonography
Learn More About the Business Transfer Pathway
Published May 2026