Spencer and Jozlynne Cross, married North Central graduates, are shaping healthier lives in Northern Michigan.

For Spencer and Jozlynne Cross, building healthcare careers in Northern Michigan means giving back to the community they now call home. The couple credits their North Central education with giving them the skills and community ties that are shaping their careers in healthcare. 

“North Central gave us the tools to launch our careers,” Spencer says, “but more than that, it gave us a sense of purpose in serving the community we now call home.”

Spencer graduated in 2013 with his associate degree in nursing.  Jozlynne attended from 2012 to 2020, graduating with her associate of Arts in 2014, associate of Applied Science in Surgical Technology in 2016 and finally with an associate degree in Nursing in 2020.

Their paths in healthcare might look different, but they share the same intent: helping others live well. Spencer, a doctorate-prepared nurse practitioner at Great Lakes Ear, Nose & Throat, cares for patients of all ages, performing in-office procedures and consulting in the hospital setting. Jozlynne has built her career in aesthetic nursing and clinical education, helping patients gain confidence while mentoring colleagues in her field.

That shared commitment to care extends beyond their workplaces. 

Like many dual-career couples, the Crosses have spent years balancing demanding shifts, advanced education, and family life. They learned early in their relationship that progress depends on partnership, shared calendars, and knowing when to step in for one another. 

For them, communication is both habit and discipline. The same focus and empathy that guide a patient conversation also shape how they navigate life at home, keeping their family and their work moving forward, together. And their motivation endures because of what they see each day. In a small community, patients are not anonymous; they are neighbors, friends, and familiar faces downtown.

“Those connections remind us that what we do really matters,” Jozlynne says.