I never knew my inner strength until I made the decision to come to the United States of America (USA).  I came to the United States of America at age 26.  I wanted to change my life finically, socially and make my life long dream come through, of becoming a Registered Nurse.  My Aunt is a Registered Nurse.  She was trained in England.  She would send pictures of herself in her all white Nursing uniform and Nursing hat.  She would also share with us, all the hard work, endless exams she had to endure before she graduated and became a Registered Nurse.  I did not care I wanted to become a Registered Nurse.  Whenever I visited the Port of Spain General Hospital, I would admire the Nurses and hope one day I would be doing what they were doing. That’s what I wanted.

It was very hard in the beginning when I first came to the USA.  I did not have a Green Card that would enable me to look for legal work.  I lived with my sister, her husband and their children.  I was their personal maid.  The only work I got was cleaning other people’s homes or as a Home Attendant.  Working as a Home Attendant, was not an easy job.  I was given a patient’s home address by a Home Care Agency and went to their home to take care of the patient.  I would follow instruction given by a Visiting Nurse.  However most of the time, I would have to do things, like clean up the house, and go to the store may times for everyone in the family.  The areas I went to were dangerous.  I did it without complaining or refusal, because getting another assignment from the Agency was hard, and far between.

The hours for these jobs were either short, long but the pay was all the same – very low.  I worked for $3:50 an hour and believe me I stretched that money far.  All of this was new to me.  In Trinidad and Tobago, I was a Secretary for a Professor at the University Of The West Indies.  I had a great job, friends and living in my own home land.  In the USA, I was called an immigrant.  I was told “You people came here to take away our jobs”, “You people need to go back where you came from.

I was hard.  Work was hard to find and the day to day living at times, would try to destroy one’s spirit.  I remember my Grandmother’s words “Have faith, you know things were not going to be easy, you are a grown woman, put on your fighting gloves and fight for what you want”.

I did just that.  I got my life together.  Two years after coming to the USA.  I got my work papers and then my Green Card.  I applied to attend College and was accepted.  I could not get any Financial Aid because I was making too much money $6:50 an hour.  I worked two jobs and went to school.  During School breaks I would work extra shifts to earn money to pay for my classes.  It was a struggle but it was my struggle and I intended to make it.

I finally got into the Nursing Program.  I was happy.  I was getting closer to my dream.  The Nursing Program was a new world.  We were told that “you will not have a personal life for two years”.  The program consisted of intense detail studying, applying yourself and lots of exams.

I was not one of the ‘A’ students.  I studied hard, applied myself but only got ‘B’ ‘C plus’, ‘C’.  I would feel depressed, but then I remember something Dr. Zucker said   “I will take the Nurse with a C”, “they will make a great Nurse” I did make it.  I made it to forth semester and graduated.  I did my state board and passed.  I became a Registered Nurse.  I have heard a lot of women verbalized “that the best day of their lives, was their Wedding”.  I am married, but I feel the best day of my life was ‘Pinning’ and ‘Graduation’.  I felt Strong, Powerful, full of inner Strength that I accomplish my dream of becoming a Registered Nurse.  The Profession I love.  I can not see myself doing anything else in life.