Holmes Community College welcomes Tonya Owens, who joins the Grenada Campus as a Practical Nursing Instructor.
Originally from Greenville, Mississippi, Tonya has proudly called Grenada home since she was six years old. A 2001 graduate of Grenada High School, Go Chargers! Tonya is also a devoted mother of five: Liquori (24), Zakayla (22), twin daughters Amaria and Azaria (20), and Mariyah (19). All five of her children have attended Holmes at some point, with two graduating from the Practical Nursing program, one from the EMT program, and one currently pursuing an Associate of Arts degree in Business Administration. “I’m one proud mom,” she says.
Tonya earned her Practical Nursing diploma from Northwest Mississippi Community College in 2011 and began her nursing career at Grenada Living Center, where she worked in long-term care for more than seven years. During that time, she also served as a case manager for an insurance company and worked part-time in private duty pediatric nursing.
In December 2018, Tonya completed the night/weekend Associate Degree Nursing program at Holmes Community College, then joined Fresenius Medical Care in Greenwood, Mississippi. After a year and a half as an in-center hemodialysis nurse, she transitioned to the Home Therapy Department, where she spent over five years teaching patients how to perform dialysis at home.
Most recently, Tonya earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Southern Mississippi, graduating Magna Cum Laude. “I love teaching, so becoming a nurse educator just felt like a natural next step,” she shares.
Tonya is a member of Perpetual Praise Pentecostal Church in Grenada. In her spare time, she enjoys shopping, cooking, reading, traveling, and watching football. Above all, she loves spending time with her children and celebrating her favorite holiday, Christmas.
“I’m so excited to begin this new journey in my career,” Tonya says. “Teaching at Holmes feels like coming home.”
