Having been raised by parents who lived with chronic health conditions, Rosario Bejar is no stranger to healthcare.
As she watched her parents’ health fluctuate over the years, she became increasingly interested in matters of aging and disease. When her mother passed away, Rosario’s interest began to feel insufficient—she wanted to do something to carry through this knowledge.
“I always wanted to be a nurse,” she says. “I think JVS SoCal was the right way to start.”
A friend of Rosario’s, who had recently graduated from the program herself, recommended JVS SoCal’s HealthWorks program. Offered in partnership with local health and senior care providers, the program is an eight-week, cost-free training that equips students with the foundational knowledge and skills needed to work in healthcare and senior care settings as Certified Nursing Assistants.
In addition to core caregiving knowledge, HealthWorks teaches students to recognize and support aging, dementia, and disabilities. It also prepares them with essential professional development skills like communication and resume building.
Rosario realized this was the opportunity she needed. She knew that by taking this training she could help her father and others who, like her late mother, had suffered at the mercy of their health.
She pushed through her initial apprehension and joined the training. She was surprised to learn that withing those eight weeks of training she would be working directly with patients and assisting in the healing journeys.
“At clinicals you see different types of people from different religions, and with different lifestyles and diets…” says Rosario, “You aren’t simply in a classroom you are working with patients and seeing more.” These lessons, she says, further her empathy and experience as she aspires to continue working towards one day becoming a registered nurse.
Returning to school as an adult with many responsibilities, “It’s difficult,” she admits. But the support she received by JVS SoCal is why Rosario rests assured that she is on the right career path. “You can go study, get hired… you go your way up,” says Rosario, “JVS will help you.”
If you’re inspired by Rosario ‘s story and would like to help someone else achieve their dream, please donate today.