How I Got Here

For my first blog post I thought I should tell you how I got to this point in my life.  So here goes...

Six or seven years ago, I got to the point that I was not happy with my job. I had worked in almost every position in the insurance agency. I began as the receptionist, moving up to the mail room/general clerical/assisting with whatever needed to be done. Eventually I was an Assistant CSR, then a full-fledged Insurance CSR. It was in 2000 that my boss gave me the opportunity to work a 4 day work week. I ended up moving to the bond department and for the first 5 years or so, everything was great. I’m not really sure what happened after that. I got to the point that I hated going to work every day. I found myself wondering if I could possibly do anything different. I had always said that if I ever left the insurance business that I would not go back. But what was I supposed to do? Elizabeth would ask me, what do you want to do? What do you like doing? I knew, but I had never told anyone.

I started searching deep within myself to try to figure out what I wanted to be when I grew up. After my father had 4 major medical events in less than a year, the stirring inside me that had reminded me that I always wanted to be a nurse really started gnawing at me. But how could I give up a job that paid well, gave me 4 weeks of vacation and a 4 day work week? I pushed the thoughts to completely change careers to the back of my mind. It was too big of a risk to do this and after all, I had a good job. 

That was 2005. Fast forward to 2007. Bro. Danny Horsley was our youth pastor and he was preaching a message to the youth on a Wednesday night. Except the message wasn’t just for the youth that night. It was for me too. He preached about the 3 most important decisions you will make in your lifetime. The first is salvation, the second is who you marry, and the last is your choice of career. Even though I had pushed all of the thoughts about changing careers to the back of my mind, they would occasionally pop to the front. This particular night, God was speaking to me. He wanted me to trust Him and step out. Ok God, I’m listening. He was calling me into the nursing profession. 

The next day at work I couldn’t stop thinking about it. While I was trying to execute an “emergency” bond, I thought about how I didn’t want to spend another 20 or 30 years sitting behind a desk, jumping through hoops to do paperwork that ultimately would not make a difference in a person’s life. I wanted to make a difference. I wanted to have a job that helped someone in need. If I was jumping through hoops, I wanted it to be for a person’s well-being, not because someone forgot to order their bond. 

I started my journey in July of 2007 at Chattahoochee Technical College. I thought the right path was to get a Patient Care Technician certificate. I took a medical terminology class, an anatomy & physiology class, and an EKG class. There were some issues with the scheduling of the CNA class and I couldn’t get into one. I ended up having major surgery in January of 2008 and was out of commission for about 6 weeks. While I was recovering, I kept checking on the classes at Chattahoochee. It seemed it was not going to work out. I was walking around the block with Mike one evening during my recovery and we were talking about my options. I was trying to decide if I should find another school that offered the PCT program. I will never forget the words Mike said to me. He said, “Why don’t you stop messing around with this certificate program and go get your degree.”  I couldn't ask for more support and encouragement than that!

I started doing more research and found the program at KSU. I saw that there were classes available in the evenings. I would be able to take classes and still work. I could use my one day a week to study and do homework or catch up on laundry or whatever needed to be done. So with the encouragement of my family and friends, I applied to Kennesaw State University as a non-traditional student. So, I went from a bond account manager at an insurance agency, to a bond account manager AND a part-time student starting the process of completing my general education requirements and nursing pre-requisites. This was a brand new adventure. 

When I told my family I wanted to go to college and become a nurse, it was a surprise to all of them but they have been my biggest fans. I think Elizabeth and Reychel were more excited than I was. The encouragement from my friends has been overwhelming as well. You have all been behind me 100%. It amazed me how many people reacted with “I can see that” when I would tell them that I was changing careers to become an RN. It seemed like I was getting confirmation that I was doing the right thing from all around me. 

My first 3 semesters were pretty smooth sailing. It was nearly impossible to get into the science classes I needed as a “freshman” in college. So I got my English, Math and some of the other general education classes I needed out of the way. At the beginning of the Fall 2009 semester I had a 4.0 GPA. Then reality hit. I thought it would be a good idea to take A&P1 & Chemistry at the same time and work too. Between the stress at work and the stress of studying such hard material and trying to soak it all in, I’m surprised my family didn’t kick me to the curb. 

After my first A&P lab exam I was devastated. I made a C on the exam and there were only 2 tests the entire semester. I knew that I had not done well because I physically did not have enough time to study. I told Mike that I needed to quit my job so I could devote my time to school. I knew that I was not going to be accepted into a nursing program with C’s. He of course talked me out of my frenzied state and brought me back to reality. It wasn’t the right time for me to quit my job. I ended up with a B in A&P, a B in Chemistry, an A in the Chemistry lab, and a C in the A&P lab. I was not happy. My 4.0 was gone. I was also worried that my chances to get into the nursing program had been severely altered and not in the right direction. I learned my lesson. I knew that I did not need to take 2 science classes and work at the same time again. 

The next semester was a little easier. I signed up for A&P2 but I wasn’t able to get into the lab for this course. Not being able to get into this lab actually pushed the time that I was going to apply to the program back a semester. It ended up being a good semester. I got another B in A&P but with the teacher I had, I felt like I had made a triple A! I didn’t know how this was going to affect my chances of getting into nursing school but I kept going.

I decided that I wasn’t going to take summer classes. I had taken 2 classes online the previous summer, but nothing I needed was available online or during the time slots that I could attend. It was during this summer that everything changed. I went on vacation with my family in June. When I came back my co-worker was on vacation for a week. After working my tail off trying to keep up with everything, my boss called me into his office on Friday morning. He informed me that they were going to be doing some things differently in the agency and I was not part of the plan. This was a huge shock. I had been working for this company for 21 years. I had in my head that I was going to tell them when I was going to leave. Not the other way around. So suddenly I don’t have a job. How did this happen? What were we going to do? I had no idea. I called Mike and told him what had happened. He came home from work. I was beside myself. Elizabeth was getting married in September. How was all of these going to work out? I knew that I wouldn’t be able to find another full time job that would work with my school schedule. I told my dear friend Robin what had happened and she reminded me that this did not come as a surprise to God. I’m so glad that I have a heavenly Father that always takes care of me and friends and family who are always there for me. And I’m so glad that He blessed me with a wonderful husband that has always done everything he could to take care of his family. We sat down and looked at our finances. And again, the Lord provided for us. I was going to be able to go to school full-time. 

I went through the summer and rearranged the classes I had signed up for and took 14 credit hours. After the Fall Semester I could apply to the Nursing Program. I decided to apply to KSU and University of West GA. Once Fall Semester was finished and my grades were posted I sent in my applications and the waiting began. I decided to sign up for 16 credit hours in the Spring so that I could finish all of my pre-reqs and gen ed requirements. If I got accepted to West GA I would start in the summer. I decided that I wanted everything finished so I wouldn’t have to worry about taking anything else in addition to nursing classes. 

On the 28th of March, I received my acceptance to the part-time program at West GA. I was so excited. At first I was a little bummed that it was the part-time program. But then I thought, I GOT INTO A NURSING PROGRAM! Mike took me out to celebrate and he said it felt like a relief to know that I was in a program. I still didn’t know about KSU and my intent letter was due before I would know about the answer from there. I had heard so many stories that people had to apply multiple times before they were accepted. I was happy that I was in a program and if I wasn’t accepted to KSU that was ok. 

The part-time program for West GA was located in Newnan. Mike and I made a trip to see exactly where it was located. On the way back home, I received an email that I had been chosen for an interview at KSU. My head was spinning. On Monday, I had been accepted to West GA and on Wednesday, I had been invited to interview at KSU. I re-read my acceptance letter to West GA and there was one sentence that said if I decided not to attend there to let them know as soon as possible. This was my “loophole”. I would go to the interview and wait to see what happened. If I got accepted to KSU, I would weigh the pros and cons and pray about it and find out what God wanted me to do and go from there. 

I interviewed on April 12th. The waiting began again. The following Monday I received a call from West GA with news that they had an opening in the full-time program and did I want it. At this point in the waiting game, I said yes. The full-time program had been my first choice. I was really excited. If I ended up at West GA, I would be in the full-time program in Carrollton. 

On May 5th, I finally received word that I had been accepted into KSU’s nursing program. I couldn’t believe it. I had applied to 2 different programs and had been accepted to both. It was surreal. No one else was surprised but I had heard all of the stories. I had talked to people that had applied more than once. I couldn’t believe that I got in on the first try! I was so thankful. It was just another confirmation that I am doing what God has called me to do. 

My final decision was to turn West GA down and stay at KSU. Orientation is August 8th and my first day is August 17th. It’s going to be a wild ride! Bring it on!!