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Twenty-five year old Pabitra entered the New Hampshire Health Profession Opportunity Project (HPOP), a Health Profession Opportunity Grants program (HPOG), funded by the Office of Family Assistance, in the summer of 2011 just a few months after settling in the United States from her native Bhutan. From age 1½ until she moved to the United States at 21, Pabitra lived in a refugee camp in Nepal. Refugees in the camp lived in huts, which were jammed together, creating an unhealthy living environment. People received only basic health care, and Pabitra witnessed many inhabitants struggle with significant health issues. As she matured, she volunteered in the camp as part of a team training residents on proper sanitary procedures. The experience spurred her desire to work in the medical field. Once in the United States, Pabitra searched for opportunities to fulfill this dream.

A breakthrough can come at any time.

Tyler’s breakthrough came after considerable thought and research into a program that would prove to be the gateway to his dream.

Shireen was two years into her lifelong dream of becoming a registered nurse (RN) when sickle cell disease stopped her educational journey.

She dealt with her painful illness and faced the challenges of being a single mother before she found out about the HPOG-funded Allied Health Career Pipeline Program at Hostos Community College.

Shireen came across the Pipeline Program while reading nursing program reviews on Google. She was impressed with the reviews for Hostos Community College and the success rates of the Pipeline Program. The Pipeline Program gave her reason to hope even on days when her disease caused her so much pain she was unable to leave home.

The path to advancement can be long and demanding, but it is always rewarding.

Monica was raised in the South Bronx, New York, the poorest county in the state. It was a challenge for her mother to raise four children alone, but she worked hard to make sure they never went hungry. Monica considers her mother her role model. She wanted to work hard to be the best version of herself, showing her mother that her unconditional love and caring were appreciated.

Monica became a mother early herself. She put her plans on hold to give her children a rich life experience. As they grew older, Monica became committed to accomplishing her goals. Exploring her interest in the medical field led her back to school. She completed an associate’s degree in Medical Administration, but a challenging job market made finding employment difficult. She didn’t let that stop her, because she was committed to getting her start in healthcare. Monica started looking at training programs that would build her knowledge of the clinical side of the field. It was then that she found the growing number of opportunities for Home Health Aides.

In May 2017, she was introduced to the close partnership between Montefiore HPOG and People Care. People Care is Home Health Aide service that provides care to over 3,000 people a day in New York. After her acceptance into the Montefiore HPOG program, Monica was determined to take full advantage of their offerings, and move up the healthcare career ladder. She completed training through People Care and started working as a Home Health Aide, but quickly wanted more. She attended post-employment counseling at Montefiore HPOG and developed a plan for her to go from Home Health Aide to Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA). She built a strong rapport with management at her home care agency, and HPOG noticed.

Inspiration comes in many forms. For Kelli, it came from her three young children.

A single mother, living on a reservation, Kelli worked hard to keep up with her own children during the fast-paced digital age, but she had very little opportunity for education or job training.

This put strain on her ability to be a stable role model and provider for her family. She longed for a fulfilling career that provided job security and the opportunity to have dinner with her children without rushing off to the next job.

The Yankton Sioux Tribe’s Master Health Director introduced Kelli to the HPOG Pathways to Healthcare Professions (PHP)  program. After reaching out by phone and discussing her situation and long-term goals, she decided to apply for Certified Professional Coder (CPC) courses.

Our Health Information Technician Career Pathway Infographic visually depicts the journey from education to career advancement for students entering the field as a Medical Records and Health Information Technician.

Samantha was raised in Columbus, NE, as the youngest of five sisters in a single parent household. Her childhood was marked by struggles with anxiety, depression, and a learning disability that impacted her ability to read, spell, and write.

She let none of this hold her back and graduated from Columbus High School in 2010. Even then she knew that she wanted to be employed in the medical field.

Armed with a goal, Samantha enrolled at Central Community College (CCC). Her roommate was a student in the nursing program. The more they talked, the more Samantha knew that nursing was the path for her. What she didn’t know was the climb she had in front of her. She took the classes needed to enter the nursing program, applied, and was placed on a two-year waitlist to start. In the meantime, she decided to obtain an Associate in Applied Science Degree and transfer to Midland University in the Fall of 2012, but struggled with her classes and did not pass her first semester.

Cheryl knew from a very young age that she wanted a job in healthcare. Cheryl’s mother was a registered nurse and an Associate Professor of Nursing at the University Of Texas School Of Nursing at the Texas Medical Center.

In high school, she decided she wanted to be a nurse like her mother, and applied to the High School for Health Professions in Houston, Texas. Soon after her acceptance, Cheryl was dealt a devastating blow. Her mother passed away from cancer that May.

Before she knew it, three decades had gone by, and Cheryl had given birth to 4 children and gotten married. Cheryl had long impressed upon her children the importance of a college education. She told them as soon as they left home for college she would go back to school.

Cheryl was working at a clinical laboratory facility, making around $19.00 an hour. But then, she developed health problems that prevented her from working. After regaining her health, she wanted to enjoy her freedom, pushing off her education once again. Her son was pursuing his second Master’s Degree when he asked, “Mom, what are you waiting for?” With an empty house, she started her journey to become a nurse at the age of 49.

In 2016, Ray-Lynn was working as a medical aide at a nursing home and was enrolled in nursing school. She struggled financially, finding it hard to pay for childcare. She knew her chosen field of healthcare held opportunity, but she didn’t know how she could afford both. She found out about the Kansas Health Profession Opportunity Program (KHPOP) through her nursing school peers and decided to apply.

Sheyanna is an enrolled member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians. She spent her childhood moving around North Dakota to live with various family members. Unfortunately, she was abused by the people who were supposed to be caring for her. When she was 15, Sheyanna suffered the loss of a child. Struggling, she moved to Belcourt, ND to live with her absentee mother.
 

While living with her mother, Sheyanna cared for her younger siblings. Sheyanna focused on school, realizing that it could take her somewhere. She was homeless in high school and needed assistance from low-income programs for food and other necessities. Sheyanna worked hard to keep her grades up, but with all the distractions of life, she almost did not graduate.
 

After high school graduation, Sheyanna enrolled at Turtle Mountain Community College, and applied for Health Education Access through Rural Training (HEART) Project , funded by HPOG. HEART provided support when she needed it the most. She was able to keep up with her studies anywhere using the Surface Pro HEART gave her to do her homework. Often it was in her car. Despite her hardship, Sheyanna found time to take part in Student Senate at Turtle Mountain and volunteer. She did all this while working as a CNA to support herself.