Second Time a Charm for Owens Outstanding Radiography Graduate
After her first experience with college didn’t go well, Jordan Yeager was “terrified, petrified” to go back to school.
She not only took the plunge at Owens Community College, but she jumped in with both feet. Yeager will graduate in spring 2025 with her associate degree in Radiologic Technology. She was also named the outstanding graduate in Radiography.
“The stars are aligning,” Yeager said. “I feel like for the last ten years, I’ve been kind of just keeping my head above water and going through the motions. I feel like an adult now. It’s very exciting.”
Yeager, of Sylvania, went to Grand Valley State for a year and a half, but she admitted it didn’t end well. She didn’t know how to study and didn’t have her priorities straight.
She started debating going back to school in 2021, and when she finally decided to come to Owens, she didn’t tell anyone.
“My mom saw the Owens thing in the mail and was like, ‘Honey, what’s this?’ And I’m like, ‘Oh, I forgot to tell you, I’m going back to school,’” Yeager said. “I was too scared to tell anyone. I was a straight-A student in high school, so when I went to college the first time and it didn’t go great, I didn’t know what was happening.”
Yeager said her maturity and improved time management skills helped this college experience end much better than the first. In fact, she took on a leadership role with her class, something that comes naturally to the oldest of four sisters.
“I’m almost thirty, I’ve had multiple jobs, I’ve been a manager multiple times,” Yeager said. “I feel like it’s a natural thing, but I try not to insert myself into the role. It just kind of happens.”
Owens has helped Yeager achieve her dream of being in the medical field. After breaking her arm as a child, Yeager wanted to be an orthopedic surgeon. She instead stumbled upon radiology and its endless opportunities.
After graduating, Yeager will work full-time in general X-ray at the University of Michigan Health Hospital.
As a Wolverines fan, the fit couldn’t be any better.
“When I interviewed at U of M, they asked me what my greatest accomplishment was in the program, and I said getting this award,” Yeager said.
Published May 2025