Dana Brooks joined the PCOM South Georgia Admissions team in 2018 as the Assistant Director of Admissions. Dana is now the Executive Director of Admissions.
Dana holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Thomas University in Thomasville, and a master’s degree in higher education administration from Georgia Southern University in Statesboro. She most recently worked as a talent search coordinator for Southern Regional Technical College. In addition, she has worked as a recruiter for Thomas University in Thomasville.
I am the first in my family to obtain a college degree. The second in my family to graduate high school!
Wow! My journey was long to get here and not straightforward. I started off wanting to go to college to be a lawyer. Straight out of high school I enrolled in a local college to pursue a degree in political science. With little to no guidance, I failed out my first semester. Right after high school graduation before starting college, I obtained my apprenticeship license as a cosmetologist. So when I failed out of college, I started working full time as a hair stylist and put off returning to a four-year college and instead completed my diploma as a master cosmetologist. I then went on to pass my state board and obtain my cosmetology license.
I had a very successful career at a young age working as a hairstylist but knew that I ultimately wanted to go back to college. After being out of school for about 4 or 5 years, I decided to go back to college and try again. I had to continue to work, and at this point, I had my own business within a business and clientele doing hair that I had to maintain during the day; so I went to school at night to pursue my bachelors degree. It took me about 5 years to get my BS degree in psychology due to me having to take remedial classes the first two semesters because my entrance test scores were so low. While completing my degree I knew I wanted to work at a college. I started teaching at a local college. I taught the night cosmetology program for two years. I knew then I wanted to help people go to college. I saw all the obstacles that students were facing just to go to school. I also related with those obstacles because I had experienced most of them myself.
About a year after graduating, I started working at the school I graduated from for my BS as a recruiter and admissions counselor. I left the world of cosmetology behind. From there I went on to work at a technical college as a recruiter, dual enrollment coordinator, and to work with federal grants geared to servicing high school students from low income backgrounds with programs to go to college. While working as a grant coordinator, I started to pursue my master's degree in higher education administration. I then saw a news publication about PCOM South Georgia being built and applied for my current job. I completed my master's about 2 months after starting with PCOM. I was employed here from the beginning and watched the school being built from the ground up.
I think just society’s norm of what women should be doing at certain ages…getting married, having kids, staying home and raising them…it’s a constant lingering thought of how others are judging your journey. That caused a lot of doubt for me like I was missing out when everyone was getting married and having kids, but I was in school and just not at that season in my life.
Don’t compare yourself to others. Enjoy the journey and don’t focus so much on just getting to your goal. Learn on the way and be open. Be kind and respectful to everyone. That will get you further way faster than any amount of education. Stand up for what you believe in!
Helping others! Leading a team and being a servant leader. I am most proud seeing others grow and succeed and knowing that I was able to help them get there. I have had a lot of moments like that in my career and that is what keeps me going!
The Office of Diversity and Community Relations celebrates the unique accomplishments of first generation students. This series features PCOM faculty, staff and students who were the first to attend college, graduate school or medical school within their families. We believe spotlighting our first generation community members will encourage our students to use their talents to shine during professional school and as future healthcare providers.
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