Elena
Elena was referred to Livingston Workforce Services after enrolling at Heartland Community College. A single mom living in public housing, she had recently moved to the area from Florida, and was confident registered nursing was for her. She had done LPN work while living in Florida, but Illinois licensure requirements were different so she knew she needed to further her training in order to gain self-sufficiency. Ultimately, she decided to pursue a BSN program at Methodist College.
Elena was an exceptional student, placing on the Chancellor’s list and being inducted into the Sigma Theta Tau Honor Society. She was also elected President of the Student Government Association at the college during the summer of her senior year. She applied for and received multiple scholarships every semester, including a $5,000 scholarship from the schools foundation. Her time on the program was anything but easy due to both COVID and various school, work, and single parent responsibilities. It was a long road, but her career planner never questioned that she would make it to her destination.
Elena graduated from Methodist College with a BSN and a cumulative GPA of 3.56. In July 2023, she passed her NCLEX and is now a licensed registered nurse working full time in the emergency department at OSF St. Joseph Hospital.