Although the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has rated her as 100-percent disabled from her time in the U.S. Army, Misti Hare still wants to provide for her family. That’s why she is earning her degree in Health Information Management (HIM) at Laurel Ridge. She is also earning her certificate in Medical Billing and Coding along the way.
Hare joined up in 2010, shortly after graduating from high school in Missouri. She served as a military police officer for less than a year before being honorably discharged after a chemical spill caused her to have toxic goiters, leading to the removal of Hare’s thyroid and parathyroid glands. She said she also has knee, back and hip issues.
Hare decided to enroll in Laurel Ridge two years ago.
“It was kind of an, ‘oh, my God, I have to do something to keep myself and my family afloat,’” she recalled. “I was working two full-time jobs and my back went out and I lost both jobs very fast.”
That’s when a friend told her about the HIM two-year degree pathway.
“I did it because I have a family to take care of; I didn’t know what else I could do in two years,” said Hare, who has had numerous jobs working in the retail and hospitality industries, including in managerial roles. “I’ve been working since I was 12-years-old to help my grandma support the family.
“The Health Information Management degree program felt like something that was going to be a challenge for me, but also something that I could do. I’m helping people, I’m ensuring that they’re getting the proper codes and not getting charged. All my life, I’ve always wanted to help people. That’s why I chose to be an MP.”
The health information management field also appealed to Hare because it would allow her to work from home, which is helpful to her as someone who deals with anxiety.
“I’m only 35, and to be told I’m 100-percent disabled – my family deserves better,” she said. “I’ve struggled my whole life. I don’t want to struggle any more. I want to live comfortably.”
Misti Hare and her wife Heather on their wedding day.
She said her wife, Heather, and her 12-year-old daughter are her biggest supporters and her main motivation.
Hare has also found great support in the faculty and staff at Laurel Ridge, especially Jeanmarie Corrado, a veteran academic advisor and school certifying official.
“Jeanmarie said I’m a completely different student to when I first signed up,” said Hare. “I have the school to thank for that and the support. I know that at any moment, I can reach out to my advisor, or my professor, and they’re always quick, they’re always on it. I wish I’d had teachers like that in high school because I feel like I would’ve done better. Jeanmarie and all the professors and everybody at Laurel Ridge have been so helpful in helping me navigate my anxiety through all this. If someone had told me I would be going to school in my 30s, I would’ve laughed, I would’ve said you’re crazy.
“The professor that I have connected with the most is Professor [Tarren] Smarr. I love the way she teaches. I never really cared for history in school. I actually get excited to go to school because I like the way she teaches it. I love taking her Ethics and her Social Problems and her Sociology classes. Those three were my favorites. She has changed my perspective on things and how I view things. If anyone other than my wife was my inspiration, it would be her.”
Hare said she encourages others in her shoes to keep going.
“I know it gets hard, you want to burn out and want to quit,” she said. “Don’t. Just remember you’re doing this for a reason.”
Laurel Ridge Community College was known as Lord Fairfax Community College until June 2022. For consistency purposes, the college will be referenced as Laurel Ridge going forward.