My Dream to Become a Traveling Registered Nurse
“What do you want to be when you grow up?” She said. In my mind, I had so many thoughts running through my little learning brain while sitting in those bucket seat wooden desks that were covered in pencil writings of people’s names. I was in 7th grade when the teacher asked the class what we wanted to do when we grew up. I thought maybe a pilot, a doctor or a lawyer. Something common like everyone else. We were taught as young kids and adults, you go to school, graduate from high school and then proceed to college to further a career of your choice. My parents always strictly enforced that. While exploring different kinds of careers all throughout 7th to 12th grade, I made an important decision that would soon be my future. With my personality, my morals and beliefs, and my interest to travel, a traveling registered nurse was what I wanted to be. I’ve always loved going to big hospitals or clinics and was always fascinated by them. Most importantly, I am a people person and love to help people in any way shape or form. I jump started on my nursing career and took a certified nursing assistant (CNA) during high school and a pharmaceutical technician course during high school. Both college level classes taken through LCSC.
That way, I could have a decent job while attending college and it also gave me a good feel for the medical field to make sure it was what I wanted to go to college for and major in. I can still remember the high school days and that musty smell that old building had. It was the same old creaking two story, hard wood floored building my great grandparents went to when they were in high school, which was well over 50 years ago. I had wonderful teachers that taught me and other students the outside life of living on your own and educating us and preparing our eager young selves for college. I remember saying my sophomore year in high school, “I’m never going to college in Lewiston at LCSC. That is too close to home and I hate that valley!” It turned out to be one of the greatest decisions I’ve made upon graduating high school. My family, my teachers and LCSC brought me here today to study nursing in hopes to pursue my dreams and goals as a traveling RN. I moved out of my parent’s house two weeks after high school graduation. I was so excited to move out and move forward with my life how I wanted to. I’ll never forget that bittersweet feeling the day I left my parents. A sad but happy day for me. I remember the first time I walked into my new apartment and that sweet fruity smell, just cleaned carpets and freshly painted walls it had. The feeling I had was so incredible to know that apartment was mine and this was the beginning of the rest of my life. It was the very first time living on my own. I decided to not go to college right out of high school and just work for a year and go to school next year.
The year I decided it was time to return to school, I was definitely looking forward to working and going to school full time. I was eager, determined and ready to follow my dreams. As of today, I am currently attending LCSC and work full time for St. Joseph Regional Medical Center for Hospice and Palliative Care. A very tough job, but my co-workers, patients, and most importantly, my family support is what I need to continue to reach my dreams here at LCSC. I was raised in a hardworking family that taught me how to work for what I need or want along with all the other rules and regulations of life. There’s lots of things I want, but someday, one of my main goals is I would like to build on a lake somewhere, have a boat, travel as a nurse, etc. My family has taught me all the knowledge they have to me and they’re all very successful in life today.
Their hard work and dedication in life truly inspires me today and every day. I don’t want to be the girl 30 years old thinking, “I should’ve gone to college” or “Wish I would’ve done something with my life when I had the chance.” I want to be completely successful at 30 years old. Hard work and dedication pays off and that’s what my family taught me. That’s why I’m here at LCSC today going fourth with my dreams and goals and writing this paper. My family members are my role models, best friends, and parents when they need to be. They are the absolute best and push me to be my very best.
