For most, pursuing a career in the medical field or becoming a touring rock musician is an either-or deal.
For Meridian Community College alumnus Ted Hennington, Class of 1990, these two work worlds have blended harmoniously and continue to be a source of passion and pride.
“The medical lab has been so good to my family and me; it has allowed me to make so many of my non-lab dreams come true,” he said.
Hennington has played guitar for the rock band Stone Senate, and for more than five years, the group has toured the country and Europe.
“I’ve traveled around the world playing with Stone Senate and everywhere, at some point, I end up talking about my career in the lab,” he said.
It’s in Hennington’s DNA to have one foot in the music world and the other in medicine.
“In my immediate family, there are 300 years of lab experience with both medical lab technology and medical technology,” he said, pointing to his parents as musicians and medical technologists.
When he was a youngster, Hennington’s family moved to Nashville – the country musical capital of the world. He watched many lose everything chasing their musical dream because they believed they could only make it if they pursued music without backup.
It would be different for Hennington. He graduated from high school and then came to Meridian Community College to study Medical Laboratory Technology, where he received his associate of applied science. For 34 years, he has been an American Society for Clinical Pathology-certified medical lab technician.
“It has done everything I needed while pursuing my true dream,” he said.
The foundation he received from MCC was instrumental.
“I would tell anyone that if they want to get a great education and not break the bank, MCC is the best option. The allied health program offers excellent degrees with great job placement after graduation, which helps immensely,” he said.
“Most of all,” he said, “the lab program alumni consider each other family.”
Living the dream would go on hold because of the pandemic.
“We couldn’t play anywhere. I needed to return to the lab, but I needed a flexible schedule to tour again when COVID wasn’t an issue. The lab, once again, was my answer,” he said.
Returning to the medical field afforded him that schedule so he could resume touring and playing his music when COVID wasn’t an issue.
“Thankfully, I had a lab manager who could see the benefit of working with me, and that started me thinking,” he said.
“Our field has known for a while that we have a shortage of lab techs that will only get worse; what if, as part of our recruitment, we pitched the idea that not only is lab a good career financially and for job stability but that it is also a career that allows you to pursue other dreams and passions because it can be flexible,” he explained.
“Imagine the talented and creative minds we could attract to the lab if they knew it could provide a living and finance music, art, comedy or some other dream,” he said.
Today, Hennington continues to make music while sharing the word about MLT. He added, “Nobody has to pay me to do that.”
There’s another MCC connection that has a solid tie to Hennington.
“By far, my favorite memory was meeting my wife, Gypsy Rosehill, at MCC, although she was not a student at the time.”
Rosehill, the daughter of longtime MCC instructor and administrator Dr. Kathy Baxter, taught bellydance at MCC for a decade.
“It took us a while to find each other again, but I will always remember meeting her there,” he said.