Alumni Spotlight: Lenora Sheppard, M.S.P.A. ’21
Story by Victoria Wilbur ’21
“Everyone’s journey is different through (physician assistant) school,” says Lenora Sheppard, M.S.P.A. ’21. “What truly matters is that you are happy with your decision once you reach your desired destination.”
Sheppard’s own journey to become a physician assistant (PA) at North Florida Regional Medical Center was full of unexpected turns. When she had to leave college after one year to care for her family, she used the time to become a licensed emergency medical technician and then a paramedic. Through her experiences with emergency medicine and by meeting the medical professionals at the hospital, she identified her passion for helping others.
She explained, “I knew how it felt to be a family member of someone who is sick, and I wanted to help others in the same position.” Sheppard worked as a paramedic in both Georgia and Florida but knew she wanted to continue to grow. When she earned her associate degree from Santa Fe College in 2015 and her bachelor’s degree in health sciences in 2018 from the University of Central Florida, Sheppard completed a journey that had started 15 years earlier — and this time with a new focus: Sheppard set her sights on becoming a physician assistant.
She had heard about UNE from a friend whose father went to the University’s College of Osteopathic Medicine. Even though she was older than many of her classmates, at 34 years old, and far from home, she was drawn to UNE’s supportive environment.
“The Portland Campus (for the Health Sciences) and the whole school felt very personable and more family-oriented than other schools I visited,” she said.
The most important thing Sheppard learned from her time at UNE, she said, was the emphasis on collaboration. “I learned that I shouldn’t hesitate to ask for help or support, and I should allow others to help me. We don't have to do this all on our own.”
She continues to give back to the Master of Science in Physician Assistant program — the only physician assistant program in the state of Maine — by conducting interviews and reviewing scholarship applications. Looking to the future, she hopes to be able to give guest lectures or even serve as a preceptor.
Today, Sheppard enjoys making a difference in the lives of fellow community members through her work in the emergency department in the rural North Florida town where she lives and works. She shared an experience of a former patient approaching her at the local grocery store to thank her for taking such good care of her. “Hearing from a community member how I’ve made a direct positive impact in their lives makes being a PA all worth it,” she said.