Celebrating a Career of Care
After 25 years of dedicated service, Lee Ann Mayse, clinical coordinator and instructor in the Radiography program, is retiring. At the Radiography program’s pinning ceremony on May 11, graduates and colleagues honored Lee Ann and thanked her for her years of commitment to her students and the College.
It was a full circle moment for Lee Ann. A 1992 graduate of CCC’s Radiography program, Lee Ann began her journey in some of the same classrooms and clinical settings where she would later become an instructor and mentor for others.
Following her graduation, she spent seven years at Cleveland Regional Medical Center, where she worked as a radiographer in Radiology and Mammography. It was there, while working alongside students during their clinical rotations, that she discovered an unexpected passion for teaching.
“I never thought I’d be in education, but I grew to love it” she reflects. “When you see students come in knowing nothing and watch them grow into confident radiographers, it makes your day.”
Lee Ann joined CCC as a clinical instructor and has had an active role in the program’s growth over the years. As enrollment and clinical partnerships expanded, she became the program’s first clinical coordinator. Her leadership ensured that students received high-quality, hands-on learning experiences across a variety of clinical environments.
Over the course of her career, Lee Ann has witnessed remarkable advancements in radiography technology. As a student, she learned in an era of film-based imaging, developing X-rays by hand in a darkroom. Today’s students train using digital radiography, where images are available instantly.
“It’s changed so much,” she says. “We used to take an image, go to the darkroom, and wait to see if it turned out. Now, you know immediately.” She adds that although the technology has evolved, the science and fundamentals remain the same.
Regardless of the technological advancements and changes, Lee Ann’s focus has always remained on preparing students to think critically and adapt, skills that serve students throughout their entire careers.
And that’s where she finds the greatest reward, in those breakthrough moments with students. “X-ray is hard. There are so many variables,” she explains. “But when the light bulb goes off and you see it in their face, that’s the best moment. When everything starts to click.”
She has a particular appreciation for helping students overcome early struggles, like how to move the equipment and learn the controls. “Machines at different clinical sites may look different, but they operate the same way. Watching students finally grasp how to adjust and adapt is rewarding.”
As she prepares for retirement, Lee Ann says she will miss the everyday connections that made CCC feel like home. “We have the best hallway,” she says with a smile. “We talk, we laugh, we support each other. I’ll miss that, and I’ll miss the students.”
Looking ahead, Lee Ann plans to enjoy a well-earned retirement filled with travel, relaxation, and more time with her family—and Hank, her beloved dog.
Lee Ann’s years of dedication, encouragement and compassion have guided hundreds of radiography students over the years, and her impact will continue to be felt through the work of all those healthcare professionals she helped shape.