Cierra Wells was looking forward to a fun-filled summer family day at Toledo’s Old West End Festival. She and her children were selling Italian ice to raise money for her daughters’ cheerleading squad. And then, gunfire erupted.
As people ran for safety, Cierra noticed a teenage boy limping towards her with blood on his shirt. She quickly realized he had been shot.
Without hesitation, she rushed to help.
“Ma’am, please, I don’t want to die,” he told her.
Drawing on her nursing training, Cierra comforted the frightened teen, assisted police as they applied a tourniquet, and stayed by his side until paramedics arrived. Cierra was terrified for herself and her own children, but she remained calm, attending to the teen until help arrived.
“I felt like I couldn’t run because he needed help,” she explained. She was acting on instinct, training, and a deep-seeded passion for caring for others. The moment may have been extraordinary, but the instinct behind it was part of Cierra’s DNA. Years before that life-changing moment, Cierra’s journey into nursing began with a simple desire to care for others.
“I’ve always liked helping people,” she says. “I’ve always been big on being helpful and caring and passionate.”
While working as a direct care worker, she knew she wanted to grow her career in healthcare. She first enrolled at Stautzenberger College, but after her grandmother became ill with cancer and later passed away, life took an unexpected turn and she stepped away from school for years.
When she re-enrolled, she was nearly certain that she had missed her opportunity. After all, she was four months pregnant. But when she walked back on campus,
a Student Services staff member, Cynthia, immediately recognized her.
“She remembered me by name,” Cierra recalls. “She asked how I was doing and how my grandma was.”
That simple conversation made a lasting impression.
“It made me feel important,” she says. “It felt like family.”
That feeling stayed with her throughout the Practical Nursing program.
“I wasn’t just a number,” she adds. “Everybody wanted me to succeed.”
Balancing priorities was a juggle, especially as she prepared for the birth of her child. Cierra gave birth during her studies. Her instructors worked with her to adjust clinical schedules while making sure she stayed on track.
“They were super accommodating,” she adds. “I always felt supported going to Stautzenberger.”
She credits her instructors not only for preparing her academically, but for believing in every student willing to put in the effort.
“If they saw you trying, they made sure you understood the material,” she explains. “They offered help, tutoring, and extra support. It was like a ‘No Child Left Behind’ feeling.”
After earning her Practical Nursing diploma, Cierra connected with her first nursing position through one of the college’s employer hiring events. She later continued her education, earned her Registered Nurse license, and today works in pediatrics at St. Vincent Medical Center.
Helping children through some of their hardest days has become the most rewarding part of her career.
“It’s rewarding having people trust you,” she says. “They’re feeling their worst, and a couple days later they’re smiling because they’re feeling better. You helped them feel safe.”
Looking back, Cierra says she still recommends Stautzenberger to anyone considering nursing.
“It’s not easy,” she says. “You have to put in the work. But if they see you’re trying, they’re going to make sure you learn what you need to know.”
That combination of determination, support, and compassion prepared her for a career she loves, and for moments she never could have anticipated.
Cierra’s quick thinking earned her local recognition. But in the moment, she says, she wasn’t thinking about recognition. She was thinking like a nurse, helping the patient in front of her.
It was the kind of moment no one can plan for. But when it happened, Cierra was ready. After all, she had already learned she could face challenges head on.
Cierra’s quick actions were recognized in this 13ABC news report.