Written by Alejandra Whynman
Becoming a nurse has been my lifelong dream. I came to the United States alone when I was just 15 years old. At the time, I had only completed a 5th-grade education in Mexico. Growing up, my mother and I worked for a wealthy family. We lived in their home and helped care for them. My responsibility was to look after their daughter, Teresa, who had Down syndrome. That experience planted the seed of my dream to become a nurse.
When I arrived in the U.S., I didn’t know where I would live or how I would support myself. It was an incredibly difficult time. Eventually, I met my husband, and we started a family. He pursued his education so he could create a better life for us, and after he graduated, we moved from New York to Idaho for his job. That move changed everything.
My husband encouraged me to pursue my dream, and he reached out to the Adult Education program on my behalf. I started by taking English language classes, then worked toward my GED. After that, I enrolled in the Multicultural CNA program through College of Western Idaho (CWI), which was an incredible opportunity for English as a Second Language (ESL) students. I began working at St. Alphonsus while taking my prerequisite courses. I took things slowly because I knew I needed strong grades to get into the Registered Nursing program.
There were setbacks. One semester, I had to withdraw completely. But I came back the following term and picked up right where I left off. I even repeated a few classes to make sure my grades were high enough for the nursing application. I needed a 75 on the entrance exam. On my third and final attempt right before I would have had to wait a year to apply, I earned a 76. That was a milestone I will never forget.
The first semester of nursing school was incredibly challenging. I had to work harder than many of my classmates just to keep up. I studied nearly 100 hours a week. I even reached out to see if I could get more time for exams because I was a non-native speaker. That is not a valid accommodation though. But I never gave up and I passed all my classes and skill checks.
Now that I’ve completed the program, I know every bit of it was worth it. I am especially grateful to the faculty at CWI. Professor Mikus, who taught Anatomy and Physiology I and II, was instrumental in my success. I also want to acknowledge Professors Gillette and Sciarrino in the Nursing Department. The support and excellence of the instructors made all the difference. CWI is an incredible resource in the Treasure Valley. Being able to earn a high-quality education without going into debt and to walk away with a degree in such a meaningful profession is a gift. I hope the new Health and Science Building allows even more students to access this life changing program. It’s been an 11-year journey since I first walked into CWI. But it’s also been a lifelong dream come true.
To explore about career options in Nursing and Health Sciences, visit our pathways page.
