Dreams to Chase

At a young age, Maria was taken out of high school to work and help take care of her grandmother, resulting in her not being able to obtain her high school diploma. For Maria, this was not what she wanted for her future, even if that was what past generations in her family did.

However, with this slight detour, she was able to discover her passion for helping others while taking care of her grandmother. Maria knew she wanted to become a nurse. Life continued on and her schooling took a backseat while she took care of six dependents and worked a full-time job. Maria wanted to keep going until she accomplished her goal so she could show her children that dreams are never too big to go after.

Maria then discovered NexStep Alliance through a Google search and decided to enroll after connecting with staff members. Her perseverance and drive took her all the way through the NexStep Alliance Accelerating Opportunity program through the HHA/CNA/CMA pathway. Maria did not stop there, she is now continuing to pursue her dream at WSU Tech in their nursing program due to being one of three winners of the ‘Live Your Dream’ Award from Soroptimist International of Wichita.

“I’m not a nurse yet, but my kids are watching me chase my dreams and they keep telling everyone that their mom is a nurse!” Maria stated. Her children have also begun to tell her all of their dreams of what they want to be when they grow up and that they want to be just like her. Maria has been nothing short of inspiring, her story shows the true meaning of going after your dreams.

Interested in becoming a NexStep student? Learn more about our upcoming enrollment dates here.