Stephanie lost her job as part of a mass layoff at a manufacturing firm in Montevideo, Minnesota in 2018. Staff at CareerForce in Montevideo and Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) staff helped workers impacted by the layoff prepare for and transition to new employment. Stephanie had previously worked as a Nursing Assistant for 16 years and also worked as a chiropractic assistance and an emergency room clerk, before she started working at the manufacturing firm. Stephanie was thinking about going back to school to become a nurse even before she was laid off, but didn't know how she could make it work. With a lot of hard work, and support from CareerForce and TAA, Stephanie made her dream of becoming an RN a reality.
"I was debating on going back to school to become a nurse prior to the closing but school is expensive and time consuming. I was also unsure of how I would work full time and go to school at the same time. TAA and the CareerForce came to our facility and started explaining the benefits that we were eligible for, and school was a part of that package.
"After a lot of thought, soul searching, and paperwork I decided that I would go back to school to become a registered nurse. At the time I had no idea how hard this was going to be. I had to apply to several different nursing programs, take placement tests, and just wait to be accepted.
"I was accepted to a school in South Dakota, 72.5 miles from Montevideo. I had to commute 145 miles a day. TAA paid for my books, tuition, and mileage. I received unemployment insurance benefits to pay for other expenses while I was out of work.
"I was so excited until I realized that this program boasted that it was a one-year program that had me taking twenty credits a semester to finish on time. I didn’t know any better, so I took all of the credits and failed one of my nursing classes. In the nursing program if you fail one class you cannot move forward without passing it. I quickly learned that I was setting myself up for failure by taking that many credits, so I finished the required general education courses. I went back to finish the program in the spring of 2021, I failed the medical surgical portion of the courses and was unable to go through the program a third time. I think that between the commute, curriculum, and the massive number of clinical hours I was putting in I just couldn't finish this program.
"TAA and CareerForce were very supportive throughout this difficult time. I decided to continue my journey by applying to other programs, nursing programs do not transfer their credits from one program to another, I had to start over completely. I was accepted to the Ridgewater licensed nursing program in fall of 2021 at the Willmar campus, this is about 39 miles from Montevideo. The class size was smaller, the staff was warm and welcoming, and very knowledgeable.
"TAA and CareerForce supported my journey at every turn, checking in about my classes and how I was doing. I not only finished the nursing program but I graduated with high honors. There is no way I could have finished this successfully without the support of my friends, family, TAA, and CareerForce. My contract ended when I graduated but I am currently in school to complete my bachelors degree in the science of nursing."
