Camily Arjona’s dreams of becoming a pharmacist were put on hold after she married and had her first child at age 17.

Arjona had two more children before the age of 24. She began working at an insurance company to provide for her family. “I took enough classes to improve my skills and salary in the accounting field, but medicine has always been my passion,” she stated.

When her children got old enough she decided to go back to school for nursing.

“I couldn’t have done this without Goodwin,” she noted. “Having a meaningful, rewarding job is so important to me. That’s what life is about.”

She started school in 2010, graduated with her associate degree in Nursing in May 2015, and began her nursing career at St. Francis Hospital & Medical Center in October. “The instructors understand our lives and support us,” she said. “They made my life easier.”

Arjona is now enrolled in the bachelor’s program in Nursing and hopes to continue on to earn a master’s degree. “It’s in my best interest to keep learning,” she stated. “I gravitate toward managerial positions and I’d like to see what else is out there in addition to working on the floor.”

She hopes to be an example of perseverance and determination to her children. “It was nice to see them at my pinning ceremony and to have their support,” she noted. “Watching them grow up and pursue their passions makes me proud.”

To be a good nurse, Arjona believes one must be “compassionate, have good ethics and morals, and be an advocate for the patients” which is just what she intends to do.