¶ … nursing, despite some early events in my life that might have derailed my career. I was studying for my R.N. degree when my husband became ill and I had to return to full-time work. However, I was able to earn my LPN through the Army Reserve. Recently, it has been my privilege to offer support and assistance to the families of troops deployed in Iraq with the Army Reserve 801st Combat Support. The sometimes-sad nature of this work is balanced by my work within the Aurora Health System in Pediatrics. Although the children have health challenges, working with young people is a truly joyful aspect of a nursing career. I also teach Heartsaver classes for new parents with special needs before their...

I teach CPR courses, gratis, to the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and the elderly in the community. In addition, I teach children in the Sunday school at my church. In December, 2005, I will graduate from Cardinal Stritch University in Milwaukee, WI, with a Bachelor's Degree in the Science of Nursing.
Through my work with both medical and non-medical community assistance programs, in addition to my nursing job, I have grown to appreciate the needs and gifts of diverse populations from the very young to the quite elderly. My employers…