Brave Steps: Alysa Call’s Journey From Classroom to Clinic

In this powerful episode of Wave Makers, host Michelle Reese sits down with Alysa Call, a lifelong learner whose two-decade educational journey with Rio Salado College spans from teacher to nurse — and every bold step in between. Alysa first turned to Rio Salado in 2006 as a busy mom and Spanish teacher seeking licensure renewal. Years later, she returned with a new dream: to become a nurse. With humor, honesty, and heart, Alysa shares how Rio’s flexible scheduling and supportive structure helped her navigate intense science prerequisites while balancing motherhood, work, and health challenges. From using frozen meal prep and family chore charts to layering chemistry classes between summer vacations, Alysa reveals the real-life systems, support, and mindset shifts that made it all possible. Now a nurse who uses her Spanish medical interpretation skills daily, Alysa reflects on what it means to show up scared, stay organized, and trust that even in the messiness, growth is happening.