Four students — Isabelle Howard, Abigail Kamieniecki, Carly Pelkey, and Loraine Rupp — graduated from the LNA Health Careers program hosted by the Region 14 Applied Technology Center on Tuesday, May 24.
Sister Juanita Durgin, their instructor, welcomed them to the profession with stories from her own career as a nurse and instructor. She challenged the students to give thought to what type of people they wanted to be and to name what values were important to them.
Durgin reminded them to keep that value at the center of who they were because it affects all aspects of your life, from what jobs you take to the people you hang out with. “Your jobs as nurses are not just to heal,” Durgin said, “but also to accompany people in their pain and fear.”
Students also shared their own insights about the LNA certification and the impact it had on them. Howard liked learning about the residents and their pasts, and Kamieniecki liked how the residents and the students made each other laugh. Rupp shared that she feels committed to the career and is excited to be close to achieving her goals. She dedicated her work in the field to her cousin, who she hopes to help care for. Pelkey shared that she is joining other family members in the profession and dedicated experience to her grandmother.
All four students will be taking their state certification exam on Wednesday.
