Success Stories

Keith Engel worked at the Royal Haeger Lamp Company in Macomb for 35 years and was the Vice-President & Director of Manufacturing and General Manager when he retired. “It was a good career and I enjoyed it,” said Engel. But it wasn’t his passion.

Always drawn to the healthcare field, he had spent many years volunteering at McDonough District Hospital. With retirement approaching, Engel stopped by Spoon River College “just to get some information.” When he walked out an hour later, Cheryl Hoffman, dean of nursing and allied health, had enrolled him in a biology class.

“I thought to myself, ‘What did I just do?’” said Engel.

He took pre-requisite classes while still working, and was ready to tackle nursing school full-time once he retired. He chose Spoon River College because it was close to home. “I also had a history with SRC,” said Engel. “I had taken classes there in 1966 when it was Canton Community College.” Engel now works on the acute care floor at MDH and loves it. “It’s never too late to do what you want to do,” he said.