Life I Went to College

¶ … Life

I went to college at LaSalle University, and I wanted to help others. It seemed corny, even to me, but I wanted to be that person who people could always turn to. It started when my brother went to rehab for a chemical dependency problem. I wasn't sure how to react. I was angry, of course, but my heart was breaking, as well. He looked so sickly when he left home and I kept thinking I should have seen what was happening to him. I should have been able to do something to help him. When I went to visit him, it became very apparent that he wasn't the only one suffering with addictions and problems like mental disorders. I had to help him -- and I had to help the rest of them. It became my passion, because it was born out of something that was very personal to me and that I could relate to. I turned to nursing, because it felt like the right way to go about my goal, and I started my career at Silver Hill Hospital in Connecticut as a Psychiatric Technician.

After several years of working with inpatients ranging from adolescents, dual-diagnosis patients, and intensive care patients, I transitioned to a Discharge Case Manager. I spent nine years there, and transitioned again -- this time to a Residential Counselor. At that time I assisted in the creation of a transitional house for people with persistent psychiatric disorders. It provided different types of therapy, so a wider range of people could be treated. I'm now DBT and Cognitive Remediation certified and I've helped so many people who really needed someone to care for them. With more than 10 years of experience at Silver Hill behind me, I'm ready to take the next step into nursing. My past experiences -- both personal and professional -- have equipped me well for this. I remember the people I've helped, and I remember those who helped my brother when I needed it the most. His 13 years of sobriety and the patients I have worked with remind me every day that what I do really, truly matters to the world.