Terra announces first mortuary science grad

FREMONT — Terra State Community College has announced its first student to complete the school's Mortuary Science Pathway. Megan Johansen, of Tiffin and a graduate of Fremont Ross High School, said she wanted to attend college, but was unsure what her path would be. After enrolling in a four-year college, Johansen realized it wasn't going to work out and enrolled at Terra State in 2012 as a general business major. Realizing that was still not the path for her, she dropped out. After working in retail and as a receptionist for a dealership, Johansen was browsing through Terra State's website when she saw something that interested her: the Mortuary Science Pathway. Johansen graduated in 2019 with an associate's degree of individualized study in pre-mortuary science. "It was great," Johansen said in a release from the college. "It was challenging at times, but I truly feel that Terra State set me up to be in the best position possible." Following her graduation from Terra State, Johansen transferred to Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science. From there she earned a bachelor's of mortuary science degree. "The degrees I obtained and the quality of education I received from both institutions (were) well worth it," she said in the release. Johansen is now a licensed funeral director, embalmer and crematory operator at Engle-Shook Funeral Home in Tiffin. "Death does not take a holiday," Johansen said in the release. "I work anytime, regardless if it is the middle of the night or on a weekend. It's not odd to me. When I wake up or have to go to work on a day I have off, I do it because someone else is having a much worse day than me. That's on me, and it's okay. I'm going to bear that responsibility because someone just lost their loved one and if I can help lessen a little bit of their pain I am going to." The pathway was developed through a collaboration between Terra State and Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science.