As a high school athlete, Ashton’s future seemed set on the volleyball court. However, a torn ACL during her junior year changed a lot, causing some of her scholarship offers to disappear. But one school kept the faith: Morningside University. Coach Horn saw her potential and extended an offer to play. 

“I came on campus, and it was just so welcoming,” Ashton recalls. The proximity to her family and the campus culture felt like the right fit. She weighed her options, considering whether to be a “big fish in a little pond or a little fish in a big pond,” and Morningside’s tight-knit community won out. 

Ashton credits Dr. Bunker’s physiology classes with igniting a deep love for physiology and anatomy that would ultimately shape her career. She remembers a summer ecology course and the late nights spent in the library with friends. 

Ashton also discovered an interest in other disciplines. She minored in religion and business, a choice that she says helped her grow personally and professionally. This interdisciplinary mindset, which was just beginning to be formalized in group projects during her senior year, became a cornerstone of her approach to problem-solving. 

Her involvement on campus was just as varied. As the Director of Communications for the Student Government, she started The Giving Tree and an adopt-a-street cleanup program. She was also president of the Pre-Professional Health Club, where she helped create a new logo, and was a member of the Omicron Delta Kappa (ODK) Honor Society. 

Ashton’s career began while she was still a student. A Morningside advisor connected her with Dr. Kafka at Siouxland Pathology, part of UnityPoint Health – St. Luke’s, for a shadowing opportunity. This connection led to a job as a cytology laboratory assistant. 

While shadowing physician assistants (PAs) and working at Methodist Laboratory and Methodist Women’s Hospital in Omaha, she discovered a different calling: the pathologists’ assistant (PA) profession. It was an instant fit. “I fell in love with that,” she says. “I applied a week later and got in a month later.” 

Ashton had met her husband, Zach Johnk, a football player, at Morningside. They were engaged during her senior year and moved to Omaha together. Ashton moved to Chicago for her first year of PA school while Zach remained in Omaha. She completed her clinical rotations at USD/Sanford Medical Center in Sioux Falls. In a perfectly timed, life-altering event, her daughter, Rory, was born the day before her clinicals ended. The new family of three was discharged from the hospital and moved to Sioux City that Monday. 

While Ashton was still in PA school, an incredible opportunity arose. The pathologists at St. Luke’s reached out—their current PA was leaving, and they wanted to know if she would be interested in coming back. The offer provided job security and a chance to be closer to family. In 2021, she returned to the place where it all started, this time as a certified Pathologists’ Assistant. 

Her career advancement was swift. As her family grew with the arrival of twin boys, Barrett and Cooper, in 2023, so did her professional ambitions. Pursuing a Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA), she saw a need for strong leadership within the laboratory. “I’ve always wanted to go into management,” she explains. “I want to make a difference.” 

Recognizing her potential, the hospital leadership took a chance on her. After just two and a half years as a PA, she stepped into the role of lab manager. Soon after, she was promoted to lab director, a remarkable achievement that reflects her dedication and natural leadership abilities. 

Reflecting on her journey, Ashton offers powerful advice for current Morningside students. She emphasizes the importance of self-discovery and broad exploration. 

“Really, just exploring and figuring out who you are and what your interests are. Figuring out your strengths and what really lights you up or ignites you, because there’s always a route within every single profession. Embrace yourself, immerse yourself in all the different fields while you’re here. Don’t just say, ‘I want to be in health care, I’m only going to take biology and science classes.’ Let’s go explore religion. Let’s go explore business. Really diversify yourself, because you don’t know when it comes into play in the real world.” 

For Ashton, those business and religion courses have been invaluable in her healthcare leadership role. 

Her story is a powerful reminder that a career path is rarely a straight line. From an aspiring athlete to a pre-med student and, finally, a respected healthcare director, Ashton Johnk has demonstrated that a Morningside education provides the foundation to navigate any turn. Her return to Sioux City to lead the lab at St. Luke’s is not just a professional achievement; it’s a homecoming that brings her incredible journey full circle.