Nichelle Boyce

Age: 29
Field of study: surgical technology – associate of applied science degree
Reasons for choosing CWI: flexibility as a single parent, affordability  
Hobby: Hiking with her two children, ages 13 and 11

Nichelle Boyce was in junior high when she had her daughter, Mia. That didn’t stop her from graduating high school. 

She also went on to college at Boise State University, but as a mother of a 2-year-old a traditional college wasn’t the right fit. 

 “I remember they had us spend a night at a dorm for orientation. And I was like, ‘I don’t know how to do this because I have my daughter,’ ” Boyce explained. 

She withdrew after her first year. 

Seven years later and now a mother of two, she decided to try college again, this time at the College of Western Idaho. It was the right fit. 

“You never feel like you’re an outcast at CWI when you’re not the typical recent high school graduate,” Boyce said. “There are a lot of people that you have connections with that fall into a similar category as you.” 

Boyce enrolled in CWI’s surgical technology program in the spring of 2021. She said that surgical techs “pretty much live in the OR (operating room).” They pull instruments and make sure everything is ready for the surgery. 

CWI’s nine-month program had a mix of in-person and online classes, and the flexible schedule worked with Boyce’s family situation. In the summer, she was able to be home and still do coursework while her kids were out of school. She relied on family members to help with child care because CWI does not have a day-care option on campus. 

Boyce kept her kids involved in her education journey. 

“It was so grueling because [from starting at BSU to finishing at CWI] I was in school for so many years,” Boyce said. “And I was like, ‘If you can just work with me through this then we will go to Disneyland.’ ” 

She created a chart with all the credits she needed to graduate. And every time she finished credits her kids could color the Disney castle. 

Boyce finished her program and now works at a Boise hospital. And, 10 years after taking her first college course she and her kids took the long-awaited trip to Disneyland. 

“I want [those] who experience the same things as me to go forward with whatever they want to achieve in life because it is hard. It’s just nice to see someone else who’s gone through it and made it on the other side.” — Nichelle Boyce