College of Western Idaho’s (CWI) Multicultural Nursing Assistant (MNA) program once again has been selected to receive an $85,000 donation from Bank of America. CWI is honored to be a grant recipient and is thrilled with Bank of America’s desire to continue supporting this life-changing program.
Bank of America works with nonprofit partners in the Treasure Valley to help drive economic mobility for vulnerable populations. This work included helping create a CWI Multicultural Nursing Assistant program in 2011. The program, now in its 12th year, generates career pathways in nursing for students whose primary language is not English, and has provided critical healthcare workforce training and employment to more than 115 students.
“CWI continues to play a vital role in breaking down barriers for immigrant and refugee students in Idaho,” said Kurt Walsdorf, President of Bank of America Idaho. “Their innovative Multicultural Nursing Assistant courses prepare English language learners for a career in healthcare – helping them achieve their own career and economic success – while also supplying our state with a skilled medical workforce as we see ongoing, high demand for these services.”
“Some students in the Multicultural Nursing Assistant program come to the United States with years of experience as doctors, nurses, radiologists, and healthcare administrators,” said Adult Education Supervisor, Trevi Hardy. “This program is often a first step in those students’ ability to reclaim their careers and to serve our community as healthcare workers. Other students are just starting out, and this program is a first step in their professional or academic journey. In either case, the Bank of America gift reduces barriers to participation in this critical career pathway, and our community benefits from this linguistically skilled, culturally diverse, and extraordinarily dedicated talent pool.”
Shahpoor Motawakil is currently a student in the MCNA program. He came to the United States more than a year ago as a refugee from Afghanistan, where he previously worked as a doctor of radiology. Currently he is studying to become a Certified Nurse Aide (CNA).
Through Bank of America’s support, students, like Motawakil, receive the language and job training needed to support themselves and their families.
“I enjoy CWI’s education and teachers. They have been very supportive and have helped teach me the English language,” Motawakil said. “I hope to one day continue my career in radiology and become a radiologist again, but my main goal right now is to find a job so I can bring my family in Afghanistan to the United States. Thank you to Bank of America for helping make this one day possible.”
The grant is aligned to the bank’s broader efforts to help advance racial equality and economic opportunity through a $1.25 billion commitment over five years focused on health, jobs and reskilling, affordable housing, and small business.
To learn more about CWI’s Multicultural Nursing Assistant program, visit the Adult Education page on the CWI website or contact Trevi Hardy at trevihardy@cwi.edu. The next cohort of classes begins in March.
