EASTERN

“Nursing has opened my eyes and my limited ideas to what I originally had planned to achieve. When I first started this journey my short term and long-term goals were as simple as they came, I just wanted to graduate as soon as possible to provide a better life for my daughter and I…. During the process of starting the Practical nursing program I sent my daughter to Haiti to spend some time with my family while I adjusted to becoming a full-time student and working. Not much time after sending her COVID hit America like a wrecking ball. The stress that came from this new obstacle was beyond explanation. At work we started losing some patients and a lot of staff members quit in fear of catching COVID or bringing it home to their families….Adjusting to the new way of schooling was exceedingly difficult as well.. On top of all these adjustments what kept me going with both school and work was knowing I had a daughter that back in Haiti that was depending on me, I had patients who I grew to love that I could not turn my back on and I had a nursing staff that was cut down to half that I could not leave behind.. .It was a selfless act because I know there were people depending on me, patients who need someone to be advocate for them, and make a difference in their life. There is a sense of accomplishment that comes with the title that I never knew before. The saying goes “its, its own reward.” It truly was my reward to see some of my patients fight to survive and life was made just a little bit easier because I was committed to making sure my job was done to its greatest capabilities. My contribution to the Practical nursing goes beyond what is in front of me and that is the same for my education. Just like becoming a nursing assistant was not my last stop in this nursing journey and becoming a Practical nurse will not be my last stop either…the nursing field has opened my eyes to the possibilities of how far I can grow. I am one hundred percent committed to learning and growing as much as possible because my experience has taught me only people who genuinely love what they do can give you the best possibilities when caring for them”  -- 

                                                                 Weslande Cajuste

                                                                 Prisim Career Institute                                                                                                    

                                                                 Director: Sharon Gordon

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CENTRAL

“I have been exposed to the ever· changing healthcare environment and challenges that individuals go through in search for better healthcare. This has opened my eyes to be aware of and compassionate towards the needs and concerns for individual patients for whom I have had the privilege to provide care… I have been fortunate to meet and work with a vast variety of healthcare professionals and nurses in different healthcare settings. I have been a Hospice CNA for almost 3 years and witnessed how nurses are able to comfort patients and their families in their most vulnerable state. I aspire to be the nurse with the diligence and compassion that impacts families to help them through their difficult time…The Hospice specialty of nursing has captured my heart. There have been many times where I have sat with a dying patient comforting them while they were passing. It was so rewarding to be there for them to help them pass comfortably, and that is why I am continuing my education, so I can provide better care for them. Becoming a Nurse for me is not simply a job or a career choice, but a calling. Not only is the need for nurses so great, but the need for caring and passionate nurses is even greater, that is the nurse I aspire to be when I graduate."  - 

                                     Amanda Diem

                                     Franklin County Career and Technology Center

                                     Director:  Janyce Collier

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                                                                                 WESTERN

“I was fourteen years old when I decided I wanted to be a nurse. I was fourteen years old when I sat next to my dad, crying. I was fourteen years old when I almost lost my father, my best friend in a horrific workplace accident. I was fourteen years old when I learned that a nurse was so much more than just "someone who helps people." Ever since that day in 2017 when I was fourteen years old, I have been passionate about nursing… Why is caring an important part of nursing? Patient care isn't just providing physical support, it's also about being there for the patient emotionally. My dad's nurses cared for me as much as they cared for him, and that's what fueled my fire to become a nurse… Nursing is so much more than just giving injections and passing medications. It's helping whoever needs help and being there for them, whenever they need it.” --

                                     Taige Peterson

                                     Venango County Vocational-Technical School

                                     Director:  Cynthia Cornelius