A Passion Aligns with a Plan

When Yaya took a job as a certified nursing assistant at Thompson Health’s M.M. Ewing Continuing Care Center soon after graduating from high school, she already knew she was destined for a career in health care. “Just helping people, in general, has always been my passion,” she says. 

She left Thompson after about a year but returned in 2019 and works as a patient care technician in the ICU, doing some per diem work as a medical assistant in the primary care practices. Both roles are entry-level positions, but a conversation with a supervisor about her aspirations piqued Yaya’s interest in something that could help her advance: Thompson’s Healthcare Education Fund. 

For example, she learned how the fund could eliminate the barriers posed by juggling expenses. “That was one of the reasons I held back from going to school full time,” says Yaya, who had attended Finger Lakes Community College on a part-time basis, to complete prerequisites, while working full-time at Thompson. 

Yaya wasn’t sure she would be chosen to participate but following a meeting with Vice President of Patient Care Services/Chief Nursing Officer Hazel Robertshaw, she got approval. Around the same time, the Marian S. Whelan School of Practical Nursing in Geneva accepted her into its program. 

“It all just happened, and I was like, ‘Oh, look at that!’” says Yaya, who started her classes in August 2024. 

Being able to work 20 hours per week as opposed to 40 while studying to become a licensed practical nurse is going well for Yaya, who is married and the mother to a 5-year-old. She notes, “I can focus more on school and have seen a huge difference in my grades.” 

Once she graduates this June, Yaya plans to become a registered nurse. As part of the Healthcare Education Fund, she made a two-year commitment to the health system. Regardless, she says, “I’m not going anywhere!”