Truck Driver Leaves the Road to Become a Registered Nurse
Published on February 19, 2021
Truck driver Christopher Glazik knew it was time for a career change. He wanted an opportunity to work with people from his community, provide for his family, and be present in the life of his son. Christopher decided to begin the training that would eventually lead to becoming a registered nurse. He selected the Licensed Practical Nursing (LPN) and Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN)-Registered Nurse (RN) programs at John A. Logan College (JALC) in Carterville, Illinois. It looked as though Christopher had found the perfect program. However, as a single working parent, there was only one thing that stood between him and starting on the path to his future career, childcare.
“Being a working single parent is hard enough, let alone adding school to the mix. One of my bi ggest concerns and obstacles was ensuring my son was taken care of when I was in class or clinics. CTE helped decrease the stress of that and allowed me to focus that attention on my studies.”
Christopher Glazik
Enter Career and Technical Education (CTE). The CTE system prepares individuals for high-skill, in-demand employment. CTE programs offer flexible scheduling, work-based learning, and stackable credentials that provide a pathway from education to employment. CTE also offers other academic support services to help students succeed, such as childcare assistance. For Christopher, that childcare assistance removed the biggest obstacle he faced in being able to pursue his education to become a registered nurse.
Christopher completed the ADN program at John A. Logan, earning his LPN certificate as well as an Associate Degree in Nursing. Since then, he’s had the opportunity to work in critical care and assist veterans. Christopher continued his education by completing his bachelor’s degree, and he was recently accepted into a master’s program.
For more information on this program, visit JALC’s Allied Health website.
