When Keon Gregory, hears his students refer to him as Dr. Gregory, he still has to remind himself that he is Dr. Gregory.
“When they say Dr. Gregory, I’m like ‘Who?’ I have to remember ‘Oh, I’m Dr. Gregory,” he said laughing. Gregory, a native of Winona, currently lives in Southaven and is a full-time nurse practitioner and an assistant professor of nursing at Baptist College of Health Sciences in Memphis, Tenn.
A 2000 graduate of Winona High, Gregory said when he was in high school he was a “straight C and D student.” He said after graduating, he went to Holmes Community College and obtained a degree in surgical technology.
Gregory said after working as a surgery tech for four years, he decided to advance his career with the encouragement of his mom, Rosie Small-Gregory. He said his mom Rosie was a licensed practical nurse and his aunts Amelia Gregory, Ella Beverly and Geneva Harbin are all nurses as well helped to persuade him to make his decision.
“Though nursing is a tradition in our family, I honestly did not feel as if I was smart enough to go to nursing school,” he said.
But, he decided to enroll in the LPN program, and he was accepted. However, Gregory flunked out of the program. He said he thought maybe it wasn’t for him, but it was his mom’s persuasiveness that pushed him into the Registered Nurse program.
“She always wanted me to go higher than where she was. She made me do it. She really didn’t give me a choice. And it worked because I was successful,” Gregory said. “I just wished she was here to see me get my doctorate.”
He said that he obtained his Associate Degree in Nursing in 2009 from Mississippi Delta Community College with the help of God’s grace and his mentor, Evelyn Baskin.
“In 2012, I earned a bachelor’s degree in Health Sciences from the University of Mississippi Medical Center. In 2014 I earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree from the University of Mississippi Medical Center. In 2017, I earned a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree, family nurse practitioner specialty from the University of Memphis and on November 8, 2021, I successfully defended my topic and earned the Doctoral of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree from Vanderbilt University,” he said.
For him, Gregory said just to hear people call him Dr. Gregory and teach the profession that he loves, is surreal to him.
“I never thought I would be at this point,” he said.
And it was because of his mother’s push and persuasiveness that brought him to the point of where he is now.
“My journey has been difficult yet rewarding. God filled me with a passion that I turned into a reality. I went from being a straight C/D student in high school to having a doctoral degree. I am hoping to serve as a mentor for my niece, Chiya Small, and others who desire to fulfill a passion in life but just need a little boost of confidence. Becoming a doctor was a childhood dream of mine. I loved the television show “Empty Nest” and I wanted to be a pediatrician like ‘Harry Weston.’”
He said his dreams changed and he’s now a family nurse practitioner. Gregory not only teaches, but he still works in the health profession.
Not only does he teach, but Gregory is in the process of conducting research and sending his findings to an academic journal for publication.
“My research topic focused on preventing perioperative pressure injuries and I am currently in the process of submitting my research findings to the Association of Operating Room Nurses Journal for publication.”
He said that he wants to come back to Winona and give back to the community.
“I want to open a health care clinic and teach nursing at Harvard University,” he said.
Gregory is the son of Rosie Small-Gregory and Alfred Gregory. He attends Winona Baptist Church
