Photo Credit: Chris Bennett

40 Stories for 40 Years – Profilee 15

When she first came to New Ventures Maine, Karen was a stay-at-home mom with two young children.  While she enjoyed that role, she knew she needed to figure out what would come next in her life path.  So, she decided to enroll in NVME’s My Next Career Move class to help her explore her career options. In the class, she found that she enjoyed the career exploration process.  She shares, “The class took us through a series of self-exploration and career analysis and aided us in pairing the two together. This helped me to look at my options and explore careers that might appeal to my personality and interests. It opened my eyes to new possibilities.”

After completing the class, Karen signed up for the pre-nursing program at UMA.  “I chose UMA because I felt they were geared towards the non-conventional student. As an adult learner at UMA, I couldn’t have asked for a more open and understanding experience. Because many of the classes are streamed, I could stay home to care for my children when they were sick, then watch the class once they went to sleep,” she explains.

Pursuing Her Passion

Upon receiving her Associate’s Degree in nursing from UMA, Karen started to pursue her passion by taking a job as a labor and delivery nurse. “The NVME career planning program taught me that sometimes the only thing standing in the way of your dream job is your own self-doubt,” she shares.

Most recently, Karen moved into a new role as the Clinical Program Coordinator with the Health Community Coalition at Franklin Community Health.  A lifelong learner, she has completed some of the pre-requisites at UMA towards a Bachelor’s in Nursing, which she has put on hold as she transitions to her new position. “I think nursing allows me to explore many diverse fields, and to find the right fit. I am looking forward to the community outreach and rural health focus of Healthy Community Coalition,” she shares.

Karen reflects, “NVME’s My Next Career Move class assisted me not only with career development but with my personal growth. This program has shown me that my career opportunities are limitless. I just need to be willing to take that next step in reaching towards my greatest potential.”