You may remember Luz. She is a GEC graduate whose caring nature has led her to pursue a career as a nurse. Despite the challenges of working two jobs, one at Starbucks and another at Carlisle Senior Living in Naples, Luz earned her Associates Degree from Florida Southwestern State College.
Fast forward to this year and Luz is about to reach another milestone in her education and career. With the help of scholarships funded by GEC donors, this March she will graduate from Southern Technical College with a nursing degree. What made this accomplishment even more special is that out of the 23 students who started, only 9 stuck with it and are on track to graduate. We are proud to say that Luz was one of those students.
Luz is currently working as she finishes her degree at Lee Memorial at Health Park in the Cardiac Progressive Care Unit as a CNA. Upon graduation, she will take the National Council Licensing Exam (NCLEX-RN) to become a registered nurse and hopes to be moving to Golisanos Children’s Hospital.
“GEC has helped me in so many ways. I thank them for getting me this far. They have provided so many resources to help me succeed and Ms. Mary has always been such a big support system.”
She attributes her time at GEC in the Career Mentorship & S.M.A.R.T. Programs for teaching her that anything is possible and with hard work you can reach your goals. Something she likes to remind the little ones about when she stops by to say hello at the center and spend time with the kids.