I’m a 39 year old man that has had a dream of becoming a nurse since I’ve been in high school. A scholarship would be a wonderful opportunity to start my career with some well needed experience working in a field that I’ve come to love with the short time that I’ve done my clinical for school.
I started Philadelphia Community College right out of high school to become a nurse but I had to drop out and start working because I was becoming a father at the age of 19. I started working different jobs in a nursing home and a night club to help support my daughter. I then started working for the City of Philadelphia cleaning vacant lots but this was a temp job with no benefits. I was with this job for years until I had the opportunity to do an apprenticeship and become a union floor layer. I have been with the union for about five years. The money with this job is good, but the work is very unsteady. I usually work about 6 months and I’m laid off for the other 6 months. So unfortunately my wife and I can never catch up or get ahead with our bills. This job is very stressful and puts a strain on my marriage at times because the work is so unsteady. This job is also very taxing on my back and legs. I don’t want to do this job for 20 years and then have severe back and knee problems that I can’t enjoy my family or my life because I’m in so much pain as I get older. I see so many of my coworkers have severe problems that they’re unable to function with daily life and they are still pretty young.
On a personal level I’m a husband and a father with a very supportive family. I have 4 children with my oldest attending Philadelphia Community College, and I want her to know that she can do anything she wants. I feel by going back to school and graduating to become a nurse, my kids will have a father that they can be proud of. How can I tell my children that they have to go to college, when I have never earned a degree?
I want to have a career that I enjoy going...