From High School to Hero: My journey to becoming a Certified Nursing Assistant

Skyleigh Shannon/Courtesy photo
Education has become one of the most important factors in our lives, and it can be intimidating.
When I first started working with Homecare & Hospice of the Valley, I was new out of high school and unsure of the direction I wanted to take. I felt like I had been stuck in a rut.
At the end of 2024, I decided to continue moving forward in my career and obtain my Certified Nurse Aide license. I wanted to do this to gain knowledge that would enable me to continue helping our clients and families in ways I wouldn’t have been able to before.
It has always been my dream to be able to set my personal life aside for a while and help someone who truly needs it. Being able to help bring a service to these clients is a beautiful feeling.
We all need help sometimes.
When Homecare & Hospice of the Valley offered to pay the tuition for my license, it was surreal. Having such a caring and supportive team has changed my outlook on the work environment altogether.
It can be nerve-wracking to go back to school, but having all of the support I did made it enjoyable for me to go back and get my license. It makes me feel bright about my future, knowing I have a great team supporting me through it.
I appreciate CMC as well, working with my company to make a smooth process. CMC has a very nice in-person lab where you can work through all of your problems hands-on. This was the most important part for me as I am a visual learner. The book work was made easy to learn by CMC’s awesome instructors.
I had such a fun and rewarding experience learning new things and working with all of my classmates. Overall, I feel like it was a great experience, and I would urge others who feel the same way about healthcare as I do to push themselves forward.

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