A Regular Girl's Three Years: The Brave Enjoy the World First

Anna, a young woman from Mississippi, lost her father at a very young age and grew up in poverty. From an early age, she faced many challenges. Yet today, she stands on Fifth Avenue in New York City, watching the bustling traffic and the hurried crowds around her. Her heart is filled with mixed emotions—confusion and anticipation. In this unfamiliar city, Anna has worked more than a dozen different jobs to survive—dishwasher, cashier, and cleaner. These jobs were not easy, but they allowed her to keep going. There were times when Anna had to juggle three or four part-time jobs in a single day, working tirelessly day after day, year after year.

One night, after finishing a cleaning shift, Anna passed by a café and saw white-collar professionals working on laptops, focused and composed. At that moment, something stirred within her—she wanted to be like them. She longed to be dressed in professional attire, to feel glamorous and confident. She could picture herself enjoying a life like theirs, filled with accomplishment and purpose.

Though Anna knew she couldn’t instantly change her situation, this longing sparked a desire within her to rewrite her own story. From that day onward, she decided to change her fate and began to seriously plan for her future.

To make her dream a reality, Anna used her hard-earned savings to buy a second-hand computer. The machine wasn’t much, but it opened the door to knowledge and opportunity. Every spare moment she had, Anna would sit down and research careers and educational opportunities. After months of searching and taking notes, she realized that many of the careers she aspired to required advanced degrees. As someone who had dropped out of school, she felt stuck and discouraged. But Anna didn’t give up. She was determined that there had to be a path for her.

After months of research, Anna discovered a career path that seemed perfect for her—the Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) course. This program didn’t require a high level of education, just the completion of nationally approved training. For Anna, who had left school early, it was a golden opportunity. She felt a surge of excitement, as though a door to a new life had just opened.

From that moment on, Anna worked during the day and burned the midnight oil studying her course at night. The instructors provided detailed explanations, from theory to hands-on practice. Some concepts were initially difficult for Anna to understand, but with time and guidance, she gradually grasped them. The flexibility of online courses allowed her to study whenever she could, without sacrificing her livelihood.

In the course, Anna learned how to assist patients with feeding, bathing, and taking vital signs such as blood pressure, temperature, and pulse rate. Each time she completed a practice task, she felt like she was one step closer to achieving her dream. Anna truly believed that no obstacle was insurmountable. All it took was that first step, and everything else would become possible.

During her clinical practice, Anna was assigned to a community hospital to work alongside her instructor. There, she met a young patient who left a lasting impression on her. After Anna took the boy’s temperature, he handed her a lollipop as a gesture of thanks. His sweet smile felt like the warm sun in winter, filling Anna’s heart with a sense of warmth. In that moment, she understood the true meaning of nursing—beyond just the technical skills, it was about providing care and compassion to those in need.

Finally, after months of hard work, Anna completed the CNA program and was invited to interviews with several hospitals. She was overjoyed when she received job offers from multiple facilities. Standing outside her first hospital, Anna couldn’t hold back the tears. She had never felt such a deep sense of belonging in this city before. No longer did she have to work multiple jobs just to make ends meet. Her new salary covered her living expenses and even allowed her to take an annual vacation. It felt as if the years of struggle were finally paying off, and the life she had worked so hard for was now within her reach.

Three years later, Anna had completely transformed her life through her own efforts. She no longer envied other people’s lives. Instead, she focused on managing her own and pursuing her goals. She was grateful to herself for not giving up and deeply thankful for the changes the CNA program had brought her. She knew that it was through relentless perseverance that she had found her path and created a future for herself.

Now, in her free time, Anna shares her story on social media, hoping to inspire other young women like her to find their place in this city. Having weathered her own storms, she now wants to hold an umbrella for others, offering them the shelter and support they need to navigate life’s challenges.

Anna’s story teaches us that the healthcare field is one of the fastest-growing and most rewarding sectors in America. With a projected 11% job growth for Certified Nursing Assistants, it offers a stable and fulfilling career path for those who are dedicated to serving others. Whether you’re just starting out or looking for a new direction, becoming a CNA could be the opportunity you’ve been waiting for. Anna has found her dream job, and she believes that thousands of others can find their success and purpose in this field too.