Amie Dyer admits that she had a whole lot going on in 2007, with the emphasis on "a lot."

She attended not one but two schools, Modesto Junior College and California State University, Stanislaus. Last month, she graduated from both schools, earning an associate's degree in nursing at MJC and a bachelor's degree in psychology from Stanislaus State.

While attending school, the 24-year-old Modesto native also managed to earn her real-estate license and land a job at Century 21 Apollo.

In between commuting, schooling, studying and working, she squeezed in some volunteer work with Relief Inc., a local organization working to improving the lives of the Liberian people through aid and humanitarian efforts.

She now works at Doctors Medical Center in the Neuro Step-Down unit. "We receive the patients after they've been declared stable."

When she's not crazy busy, the Downey High graduate plays volleyball, paints, reads and enjoys spending time with her dairyman boyfriend, John Postma, and her two dogs, Jack, a 2-year-old Jack Russell terrier and Toby, a 1-year-old beagle.

Q: You have two totally different careers going on at the same time: nursing and real estate. How did that happen?
A: I had been in a (nursing) program in the Bay Area and decided to move back home to Modesto. It took me a year before I could transfer into MJC's nursing program. I had that whole year to think about what I wanted to do and explore real estate. My grandpa was in real estate, V.J. Maino. His brother was Rusty Maino. Together, they founded Gould Medical Group. They were both surgeons.

Q: Where did the real-estate part come into play?
A: Their father was in the real-estate business. When he died, they took over his business. I decided to take some real-estate classes and earn my license. I studied really hard for that exam and passed in February 2007.

Q: What drew you to nursing?
A: My grandmother was a nurse and she always told me about it. I never thought it would be something I wanted to do, but I looked into it and saw the high demand. I never thought I would really love it. I do. I absolutely think it's what I'm supposed to be doing with my life.

Q: What do you love about it?
A: I love going into work every day and not knowing problems I'll face, the people I'll meet or patients I'll be caring for. It's amazing the difference you really do make in their lives. It's amazing to see you helped make this person feel better. It's one of the best gifts I can give to the world.

Q: Which is more challenging, nursing or real estate?
A: That's a hard question. I don't know. They're so different. They each have their own challenges. They're definitely both a challenge, especially with the real-estate market now. There's a lot of property available for buyers, but it's been pretty slow finding those buyers.

Q: Your goal is to become a nurse practitioner or nurse-midwife. What draws you to those fields?
A: In school, my favorite assignment was in labor and delivery. The nurses knew what do to help these women. It was incredible. I want to help bring babies into the world.

Q: Tell us about the volunteer work you do with Relief Inc.
A: I work with Phebe Dennis-Fortt, she's the founder. Every year, she tries to send donations to the people of Liberia. (Last) summer, when I had some time off, I wanted to volunteer my time. I helped organize donations, took inventory and helped pack everything for shipment. I'm involved with fund-raising and donations.

Q: You're also learning how to blow glass. Is that something you grew up with?
A: Yeah. My dad (Buster Dyer) started blowing glass in Modesto. He built a shop in the back of our home and did custom stained-glass work, but he always wanted to do blown glass. He went to Seattle and studied with Dale Chihuly for a while. He and my mother moved to Mendocino, where he always wanted to go. It's an artist community. He opened a gallery three years ago. It's been a success.

Q: What's your favorite thing about living in Modesto?
A: I love its proximity to the mountains, ocean and the Bay Area. It feels like home to me even though my grandparents and parents have moved. I don't have much family here anymore, but I'm happy here.

Q: What's your least favorite thing about living in Modesto?
A: The traffic. It's awful. Sometimes it's hard for me to get anywhere.

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