Jenny Pritchett
Jenny Pritchett
Jenny Pritchett is a 1996 graduate from Southwest Tech from the Nursing (Associate Degree) program. She is the chief nursing officer at Crossing Rivers Health in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin and also carries the title of Mrs. American Elegance 2020.
Let’s start at the beginning of your story, where are you from and why did you choose Southwest Tech?
I was born and raised in Prairie du Chien and now reside in Bloomington with my husband Len and our four children. I knew in kindergarten that I wanted to be a nurse and I always wanted to work in rural healthcare. I chose Southwest Tech because I wanted to go to a college that was close to home and I wanted to start my career sooner than what a four-year degree would allow. I heard great things about Southwest Tech and the success of the nursing program, so I enrolled right after high school graduation.
What impact did the college have on your career?
I started at Southwest Tech when I was 17 years old. It was a bit intimidating because I did not have much former exposure to healthcare, but the instructors were very approachable and patient. They really wanted me to succeed and never gave up on me. It was a great place to get the foundation I needed for getting a great education and getting started. The hands-on clinicals were perfect as I was able to do my clinicals at Lancaster Memorial Hospital and at Prairie du Chien Memorial Hospital. Southwest Tech set the path of success. Since I had the clinical exposure at Prairie du Chien Memorial Hospital, I had a job lined up even before graduation.
Tell me about your career path after graduation. How did you get to where you are now?
I always admired and asked for mentorship from the nurse executive at my places of employment and made sure to connect myself to the next position of leadership. These mentors guided me and were instrumental in my journey to success. After graduating from Southwest Tech and starting my career at Prairie du Chien Memorial Hospital, I started the RN to BSN Program at Viterbo in La Crosse and graduated in 2005. From there I became a public health nurse for the Grant County Health Department as I was going back to school to earn my Master’s degree in Public Health (MPH) from Benedictine University in Lisle, Illinois. I graduated and in 2012 accepted the position of quality and risk manager/infection prevention/safety officer at Grant Regional Health Center in Lancaster, Wisconsin.
In 2013, I became the director and health officer for the Iowa County Health Department in Dodgeville, Wisconsin. As I strived again to further my education, I went back to Benedictine University for my second Master’s degree in Business Administration-Health Care Administration because I knew I needed the MBA to become a well-rounded healthcare executive. I graduated and in 2015 I went to work at Southwest Health in Quality and Infection Prevention. After my extensive experience and education journey, I decided it was time to “come back home” in 2017 and returned to Crossing Rivers Health first as the quality improvement coordinator and quickly advanced to the chief nursing officer position that same year.
What is something you think every student should participate in?
I think every student should experience another culture, take opportunities to travel or go on mission trips to help others. Nursing students should also explore and embrace all areas of nursing in their clinical experiences as much as possible. There are so many career opportunities in nursing and you never know what path the field will lead you to.
You finished your second Master’s degree in 2014 and then entered the pageant world in 2015? What led you to the pageant world?
I’m always looking ahead to see what the next step is for me to find new opportunities to grow personally and professionally. I began my journey in “Mrs.” pageant competitions in 2015 at the age of 39 to experience some new adventures and get out of my comfort zone. Pageantry has been instrumental in building my confidence, poise, interview skills, feeling comfortable in the public eye, handling questions from the media, and overall professional appearance.
After competing seven times in various pageant systems, I finally won the national title of Mrs. American Elegance 2020 in October 2019. American Elegance Pageant is a national pageant system based in Chicago, Illinois and is a platform-based pageant, rewarding women for their volunteerism and impact on their communities and beyond. It was an honor to win this title and my reign will extend to October 2020 in which I will then crown my successor. I am looking forward to an amazing year of community service and appearances across the Midwest and the nation.
My mission in pageantry and in life is to lead by example and be a positive role model to women and young girls. I want to exemplify the power of serving others, determination, setting goals, dream big and never ever count yourself out. I want to inspire women to not be afraid to try something new.
I volunteer hundreds of hours each year to various non-profit organizations, many involving improving the lives of children. My platform is K.I.D.S., which stands for Kindness, Inspired, and Determined to Serve which supports the mental, emotional and physical wellness of children all over the world. Organizations I volunteer for include West Grant Lioness Club, Malachi’s Memorial Church Camp (camp nurse), Live out Loud Charity (anti-bullying and suicide prevention), Marleighs Ministry and Marleighs Angel Gowns (support preemie/NICU families and donate angel gowns for babies gone too soon), Ronald McDonald House Charities, Little Free Libraries, Ms. Wheelchair Wisconsin Pageant, Uniquely You Pageant for persons with special abilities and Kids in Crisis. I bring my family with me as much as I can when I volunteer, which has taught my children the value of giving back to others.
What are you proudest of?
Instilling the values of volunteerism and that hard work eventually does pay off for my children. I’m proud of my education and my career path. I know my kids are always watching as I give back to my community and I always strive to set a positive example for them no matter what path I take in life.