It’s Never Too Late to Start Again: How Cinnamon Moon Found Her Calling in Nursing at 50

Read how Bryant and Stratton College helped one student pivot to nursing as a second career.

If you had told Cinnamon Moon a few years ago that she’d be one semester away from earning her Associate Degree in Nursing, she probably would’ve laughed at you. She didn’t set out to become a nurse. In fact, for many years she was an artist, and had never felt any inclination toward a medical career. But she did care about people, and life has a funny way of leading you exactly where you’re meant to be.

Before Cinnamon ever stepped foot in a classroom at the Bryant & Stratton College campus in Parma, OH, she was focused on a different dream. She was an art teacher for the Boys & Girls Club, and she loved helping kids express themselves creatively. She also started to plan her own nonprofit, a diaper bank for families in need.

A Turning Point

While working on that project, something unexpected happened: She met her future husband, whom she calls “the most supportive person I’ve ever known.” She got married in 2022 and quickly learned that love often brings new challenges as well as joy.

Cinnamon’s husband is a paraplegic, and over time, his health began to decline. Hospital visits became part of their routine as they worked with doctors to manage his care. During one of those visits, a nurse pulled Cinnamon aside. She said, “You take such good care of him. Have you ever thought about becoming a nurse?”

Until that moment, she hadn’t considered a career change to nursing, but the words planted a seed. Her husband encouraged her to explore the idea, and before long, she found herself researching programs that would allow her to become a nurse later in life, even as she worked as a caregiver and full-time employee. That search led her to Bryant & Stratton College, and it changed everything.

Flexibility: The Deciding Factor

As Cinnamon says, “What drew me to Bryant & Stratton College was its flexibility. The college offered day and evening classes, and even weekend options for certain programs. For me, the daytime classes were ideal since I worked nights. The program’s condensed but manageable structure, with a few classes a week, made it possible to balance school, work, and home life.”

When she first enrolled, she was working full-time at a local hospital in the kitchen as a nutrition specialist, which gave her a foot in the door of healthcare. Thanks to the relationships she built during college, she later transitioned into a nursing assistant position. This helped confirm she was on the right path.

Champions of Student Success

Even more important was the supportive community Cinnamon encountered at Bryant & Stratton College. “Every instructor I met was patient, encouraging, and deeply knowledgeable,” she says. “When I struggled with my pharmacology course, the faculty didn’t let me give up. They arranged tutoring and helped me get into a work-study program, which allowed me to move to part-time hours at my job so I could focus more on school. That opportunity made all the difference. The second time I took Pharmacology, I passed.” This exemplifies the dedication Bryant & Stratton College faculty show in supporting each and every student’s success.

Her husband has been Cinnamon’s biggest cheerleader (and her most patient practice partner). When she learned to take vitals, he was a willing test subject. She’d take his blood pressure, listen to his heart rate, and practice head-to-toe assessments.

As his caregiver, Cinnamon has been able to apply everything she learned as a student in real time, from understanding his dialysis process to managing his medications safely. The overlap between her education and her daily life has given her a deeper appreciation for what nurses do and how much knowledge the profession requires.

That hands-on experience has also helped her realize what kind of nurse she wants to be. She’s also passionate about diabetic education, because diabetes has deeply affected her family: her husband, both his parents, and her mother all live with it. Through her classes, she’s learned how widespread this condition is, especially in certain communities, and she wants to be part of the solution through education and prevention.

Inspiration and Advice

Cinnamon Moon started nursing school at 50, something she never imagined she would say, but today she is proud of it. “Many people think 50 is too late to start over, but I’m living proof that it’s not,” she says. “Every day I’m surrounded by classmates of all ages, all of us working toward a better future for ourselves and our families.”

Bryant & Stratton College gave Cinnamon confidence, community, and a new sense of purpose. The personalized support from instructors, the flexible schedules, and the encouragement to keep going even through setbacks have made her journey possible. And while nursing wasn’t her original plan, she can see now that every step she took prepared her for her new career. Nursing combines everything she loves: creativity, compassion, problem-solving, and connection.

If you’re thinking about going back to school, whether you’re 25 or 55, Cinnamon’s advice is simple: take that leap of faith. Education is the key to opportunity, no matter what stage of life you’re in. Your story doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s. Just find a program that meets you where you are.

Want to learn more about B&SC’s nursing programs? Start here: https://www.bryantstratton.edu/degrees/nursing/