From Besties to BOCES: Two friends’ journey to the Practical Nursing program

From Besties to BOCES: Two friends’ journey to the Practical Nursing program

Friday, Sept. 20, 2024

Briana Bryant remembers the surprise she felt when she opened her acceptance email from the OCM BOCES Adult Education Practical Nursing program and spotted the name of her longtime friend—Tykara Johnson—on the same recipient list.
 

It had been four long years since Tykara packed up her car in 2020 and moved to Augusta, Ga., leaving behind her hometown of Syracuse, her parents, and her friend, Briana.

“I messaged her right away,” Briana recalled. “Seeing her name confirmed that this was meant to be. We had graduated high school together and started our first jobs together. It just felt right.”

Both women fondly remember the day they met in 2014. It was like something out of a movie—sophomores at Nottingham High School, Tykara sitting quietly in study hall, actually studying, while Briana was chatting away.

“I was just there to mingle,” Briana laughed. “I was talking to someone who knew her, so he invited her over to the table. We had one conversation and just became friends immediately.”

Their friendship is unique, Tykara said, because they value spontaneity as much as quality time. 

“We’re free-spirited,” she joked. “I mean, I could call her and we’ll do anything.”

After graduating in 2016, Briana and Tykara went in different directions, but their friendship remained strong.

After settling in Georgia, Tykara became a certified nursing assistant (CNA) and discovered a newfound love for patient care.

“Being a CNA was hands-on, and I loved working with patients,” she said. “CNA money was good in the south, but I wanted a little bit more so I could  take care of my bills and travel without having to overwork myself.”

To make that happen, Tykara decided to move back to New York State in 2023 to become a licensed practical nurse (LPN). She was deciding whether to apply to OCM BOCES or another regional college. 

“I thought, ‘Well, BOCES might be a little better for me for my pace’,” she said. “I don’t want to be overwhelmed by being in a big school or a big class, so I just started doing the research on BOCES and started getting my ducks in a row to be able to come back and get in.”

“I always knew I wanted to work in the medical field,” she said. “But I didn’t want to stay stuck in the group home life. I wanted more for myself.”

That’s when she enrolled in the OCM BOCES PN program, determined to continue her education to pursue her dream of working as a global traveling nurse. 

“I love the LPN program at OCM BOCES,” she said. “This is the first time I’ve ever been happy to wake up early in the morning and go to school.

While neither may have a daily study hall, Tykara and Briana voluntarily spend most evenings together at the library.

“We know how to study together and it literally just flows like water,” Tykara said. “We’ve been going to the library until 8:30 every night, getting everything done and staying on top of everything.”