Nkechi Odigwe, currently an on-call CNA at MultiCare Auburn Medical Center, is unafraid to reach for her dreams.
Two years ago, Nkechi was a Nutrition Assistant at Multicare Auburn. She wanted to work toward being a nurse, but knew that there were many obstacles: prerequisites, tests, program costs, applications, and more.
So she reached out to the Training Fund, which she had heard about from her co-workers. After talking through her career options with a Training Fund staff member, Nkechi enrolled in prerequisite courses at Highline College.
She also found the Training Fund’s tutoring service for the TEAS exam very helpful. Nkechi notes that the Training Fund “supported me during my nursing prerequisite classes and when I wanted to take my TEAS exam [with] workshops, online tutors, and study books.”
Nkechi’s Training Fund navigator Joshua Porter (now the Training Fund’s Director of Labor/Management Programs) encouraged her to reach out to local nursing schools for admission. Pretty soon, Nkechi applied and had offers from multiple schools. Joshua helped Nkechi, she says, by “going through my personal statement, resume and cover letter before I submitted it.” Nkechi also got a letter of recommendation from the Training Fund for her nursing residency.
Nkechi will graduate from Pierce College’s ADN program this spring! After preparing for and passing her NCLEX exam, Nkechi will then work toward her BSN through UW-Tacoma’s RN-to-BSN program.
Training Fund navigators make it easy for members to clarify questions and achieve their goals. Nkechi writes, “The advice and guidance from [Porter] was very helpful. Anytime that I am confused on what to do and call him, he will get back to me without delay.”
Nkechi wants her coworkers to know that the Training Fund can help them, too: “The Training Fund will help them to advance in their career as they are working and achieve their goal in life. All the assistance and support that they need for their education dream can come from the Training Fund.”
Contact us today to find out how you can achieve your career and education goals through your Training Fund benefits!