Shelton State Welcomes Bibb Medical Center Apprentices
January 21, 2026 – Shelton State Community College (SSCC) in collaboration with Bibb Medical Center (BMC) welcomed two new practical nursing (PN) apprentices during a signing day event at the BMC Wellness Center in Centreville on Thursday, January 16.
Anna Dominquez and Maddie Scurlock will receive paid, on-the-job training while completing their nursing coursework, labs, simulations, and other requirements at Shelton State’s Bibb Campus. They will begin training this week.
As a second-year student at SSCC, Dominquez says the one-on-one clinical training drew her to the apprenticeship program. “We will train with a dedicated registered nurse who will work closely with us, unlike in other clinical settings, which are usually group or cohort models.”
Scurlock is a high school student, but she is not new to helping patients. The West Blocton senior, who is also an SSCC dual enrollment student, is a certified nursing assistant and the youngest to participate in the apprenticeship program. Scurlock will graduate from high school in May and from Shelton State in July. “I plan to take the PN licensure exam this summer after I graduate from Shelton State.” If she passes the exam, Scurlock will become the youngest LPN in Alabama.
Following the three-semester apprenticeship program, Dominquez and Scurlock will work for BMC for two years, starting with training in the hospital’s skilled nursing facility. Both ladies plan to apply for SSCC’s associate degree program to further their education. Dominquez hopes to eventually become a wound care nurse.
“The Shelton State–Bibb Medical Center Apprenticeship Program represents the very best of what education and workforce partnerships can accomplish,” said SSCC President Dr. Jonathan Koh. Programs like this one allow students – some of them still in high school – to move seamlessly from education to career, meeting critical workforce needs while changing the trajectory of their lives.”
In partnership since 2022, Shelton State and BMC created the practical nursing program at BMC to increase the number of skilled nurses in West Alabama. With the support of the Alabama Office of Apprenticeships, the College welcomed its first PN apprentices in 2024.
For more information about Shelton State’s nursing programs, visit sheltonstate.edu.
