Photo Credit: Chris Bennett

40 Stories for 40 Years – Profilee 21

When Meghan first came to New Ventures Maine she was interested in changing careers but wasn’t sure where to begin. So, she met with NVME’s Southern Region Workforce Development Specialist to begin developing a plan. Through the one-on-one meetings, she identified an interest in pursuing a nursing career.

With her goal in mind, Meghan decided to participate in NVME’s My Next Career Move online class. During the class, she was able to explore her options and identify her steps forward. “Through the class, it became clear that I needed to make the career jump,” she reflects. One key step for Meghan was learning about the Family Development Account program. “When New Ventures Maine encouraged me to apply for a Family Development Account to match my savings for school, I realized I could make nursing school a reality,” Meghan shares.

Returning to School

In May 2017, Meghan began building her savings through the FDA program. In addition to participating in the FDA program, Meghan enrolled in NVME’s My Money Works class. The class supported her in building her confidence around managing her money. She also built money skills to help her reduce her debt, find money for savings, and create a spending plan. These pieces came together to help her build a budget for her college tuition. She completed her FDA savings in June 2018, just in time to pay her fall tuition at Southern Maine Community College.

Meghan is now in her second semester at Southern Maine Community College. She feels that pursuing her nursing degree was a great decision and she is “not looking back!” Meghan thanks New Ventures Maine for helping her make the decision to return to school and helping her fund her education.