Less than a week after Jana Duggar tied the knot (in—gasp!— an off-the-shoulder gown!), it’s been revealed that the former Counting On star has gone against another Duggar family tradition by seeking higher education.
According to People, the eldest Duggar daughter enrolled in nursing school last year at NorthWest Arkansas Community College (NWACC) in Bentonville, Arkansas. Jana told the magazine that a career in nursing was “another interest” that she has had over the years. This makes Jana that first of her 19 siblings to attend a secular college.
Jana– who is 34— stated that she began looking for something to do with her life when she realized marriage and birthing a Duggar-sized gaggle of kids might not be in the cards for her.
“ … And I was like, ‘You know what? Maybe this is more of the calling that I would be doing and let me just pour myself into something,’” she said.
Recently, Jana “pouring” herself into her classes landed her a spot on the Dean’s List at NWACC for the Spring 2024 semester. According to the site, “the Dean’s List includes students who have earned [a grade point average] between a 3.5 and a 4.0 on at least six credit hours in an academic term.”
After briefly dating a few years ago, Jana ended up reconnecting with her husband, Stephen Wissmann, during her second semester of nursing school. The two went on to get engaged in June before tying the knot on August 15 in a ceremony held in Prairie Grove, Arkansas.
While Jana isn’t the first of Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar’s children to pursue higher education, she’s certainly one of the first to do so in a traditional college setting. As those who are familiar with the Duggar family know, the former TLC family believe in educating their kids through a faith-based homeschool curriculum in lieu of attending public or private school and, more often than not, forego attending college.
Although neither Jim Bob nor Michelle attended college, both Jana and her twin brother, John-David Duggar, completed some online courses in 2011 through a program called CollegePlus. Jessa Duggar Seewald and Jinger Duggar Vuolo were also reportedly seeking degrees through the program at one point, though it doesn’t appear that either followed through.
While the family claimed in 2017 that Joseph Duggar had completed a year of college courses at Crown Bible College, he ended up leaving school and returning home to work for the family business doing construction.
As ‘Counting On’ viewers may remember, like Jana, Jill Duggar Dillard had once expressed interest in becoming a nurse. While Jill ultimately didn’t pursue a nursing degree, she did become a licensed certified professional midwife in 2015.
Upon completing her nursing degree, Jana will be the second to do so in the Duggar family, joining sister-in-law Abbie Duggar– the wife of John-David– who earned her nursing degree from Pontotoc Technology Center, a vocational school located in Ada, Oklahoma.
Coincidentally (or not) Jana has a close relationship with Abbie, who served as one of the bridesmaids in Jana in Stephen’s wedding last week. (Joining Abbie in the lineup of bridesmaids were Jana’s sisters Jinger, Joy Forsyth, Johannah Duggar, Jordyn Duggar and Jennifer Duggar. Jana chose Jessa as her Maid of Honor.)
Jill’s husband, Derick Dillard, Jessa’s husband, Ben Seewald, and Jinger’s husband, Jeremy Vuolo, have also earned college degrees. Derick graduated from the University of Arkansas’ law school in 2021; Ben graduated from National Park College in 2015 with a degree in political science before going on to attend classes at the Moody Bible Institute; and Jeremy graduated from Syracuse University in 2010.
As The Ashley previously told you, now that Jana is married, she is planning to leave Arkansas– and the infamous Duggar Compound– and move to Nebraska, where her husband lives and works in his family’s business. This also means Jana will presumably no longer be attending classes at NWACC; however, she has not revealed where (or if) she plans to transfer to complete her nursing degree.
RELATED STORY: Jana Duggar Is Married! 5 Surprising Things About the ‘Counting On’ Star’s Wedding to Stephen Wissmann
(Photos: Instagram; TLC)
10 Responses
She looks amazing, the dress is beautiful. Jana made a lot of sacrifices as the oldest daughter (some willingly and much more unwillingly).
I’m happy she can finally live her life not in service of JimBob and Michelle.
Who cares?
Gasp. Could she have a real job in a secular place?
You go Jana! Small steps but HUGE for a family like the Duggars. I wonder what her father thought about what kind of people she met there. I hope she also made some friends who showed her in what a bubble she used to live! (I honestly don’t think Stephen and her will have a ton of children and not just cuz of her age…just look at Justin who I still think is deliberately sizing his family)
Considering she excluded Jill from her wedding party I’m guessing that’s just wishful thinking and her mind is still pretty closed.
Funny…Jill is pictured at Jana wedding. So she didn’t exclude her!
After a lifetime of being homeschooled by untrained people I think it’s a great achievement to get into the Dean’s list in college. I hope she gets her degree and have an actual life apart from being a wife and mother.
Probably Hannie, there ain’t many left at home
Josie will be turning 15 as far as I know…none of them are little kids anymore so they can prob take care of themselves. (Prob why Jana was allowed to leave finally)
Sadly, I wonder which unmarried daughter will become the new sister-mother.