Ebony Shene, the founder and CEO of Scott School of Careers, overcame adversity to run six nursing schools in the Chicago region.
At the age of 16, Shene began working in the healthcare industry, and after many years, she became a full-time entrepreneur, starting Scott School of Careers in 2018.
She told Voyage ATL, “It didn’t take long for me to recognize the dire need to improve the quality of care being delivered by direct-level caregivers of institutionalized patients in hospitals and long-term care settings in the African American community.”
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The Chicago native continued, “After taking the initiative to train entry-level caregivers, I also discovered that there was an increased need for Black Nurse educators in the nursing arena. I noticed that African American students expressed a sense of excitement to see that their instructor looked just like them.”
In addition to teaching nursing fundamentals, her healthcare school now certifies students as nursing assistants.
According to her, she spent the majority of her career as a registered nurse before deciding to take advantage of an opportunity to influence change on a larger scale by becoming a licensed nursing home administrator.
With a group of managers at her side, she effectively oversaw the daily operations of several departments and a multi-level staffing of about 275 personnel while working as an administrator for a 248-bed hospital.
Then she quit the corporate sector to operate her businesses full-time, including a clothing line with cute, sporty nurse uniforms that are comfortable to wear.
Shene recounted, “I started a clothing line for nurses and aspiring nurses to be cute and represent their profession anywhere. The line, My Nurse Design, has been featured on ‘The Scene’ with Rachel J and Maubra Foster, WCIU, ‘The Jam’ by The LOOK Chicago, on Inspiration 1390 ‘The AC Green Show,’ and Be Great Global Podcast with Anita Clinton.”
“OFF WORK?? Who says nurses can’t be cute?” she said. “I’m a true healthcare junkie in a sense, with a super vivid imagination. I find joy in creating and also mentoring other women in business as they develop their business ideas.”
Despite her current accomplishments, Shene described her upbringing on Chicago’s South Side as challenging. Her mother was diagnosed with a mental condition during her early childhood, and she lost her grandmother.
“I was forced to grow up sooner than I should have, being the eldest of my mom’s four children. I started working at the age of 13 and moved out on my own at the age of 17. I didn’t let the highs and lows stop me from getting through high school and eventually graduating from college cum laude. The first in the family to secure a college degree, after being homeless, molested, and counted out by family and friends, I managed to survive the roughest years of my life.”
The devoted mother of three credits her motivation to her faith, her kids, and her desire to set a good example for other women—a sentiment that she carries into her business.
According to her, the Scott School of Careers is dedicated to giving its students top-notch educational opportunities that will improve communication skills, boost bedside care delivery expertise, and make it easier for them to enroll in college-level healthcare programs.
She said, “Our 6-8 week basic training program is designed to help individuals bring shape to their future goals. We value the modeling and teaching of honesty, integrity, fairness, sincerity, and self-awareness.”
She added, “Due to the growing shortage in healthcare professionals, I one hundred percent believe in the notion that more efficient educational training centers are a part of the solution as we try to combat the national healthcare worker shortage crisis in America. If someone wants to start up a career center in healthcare, I recommend starting with your formalized business plan, seeking out necessary resources/partnerships with surrounding health entities, and contacting your local board of education.”
Shene’s leadership and career achievements have earned her a 2021 Illinois Nurses Foundation 40 Under 40 award, according to Black News. She has also been featured numerous times in Voyage ATL, most notably on NPR’s WBEZ 91.5 FM Reset with Sasha-Ann Simons: Chicago Innovators Series.
She serves as the lead organizer of the Chicago Nurse Expo, a member of the Chicago Chapter of the Black Nurses Association, and the chairwoman of the Black Nurses Matter Network.
