Adult ed student pursues dream career

Adult ed student pursues dream career

Tues., Dec. 10, 2024

  Guided by her faith and passion for comforting others, an OCM BOCES Adult Education student is following her dreams through the Practical Nursing program.

“Everybody kept saying, 'You'd be a good nurse the way you care for people’,” Beatrice Campbell said. “I’m so grateful to be here at BOCES.”
 
The life-changing moment that influenced her career path came in 2011 when her brother nearly drowned in a swimming pool, leaving Beatrice and her family shaken.

That’s when she noticed how a touch of compassion can help carry a family through tough times.

“He’s the only son in the family,” she said. “By God’s grace, and with the help of the healthcare professionals at that time, it really helped us go through that ordeal as a family.”

Her brother’s strength and fight for survival are mirrored by the story of their father, an immigrant from the West African country of Ghana, who was the first in her family to arrive in the United States in search of a better life.

“My parents came here in the 1990s and after some time, my father worked on getting me and my siblings here,” Beatrice explained.

Upon her arrival in the United States, Beatrice enrolled in Borough of Manhattan Community College. She continued her post-secondary education at Baruch College, receiving her bachelor’s degree in Accounting in 2005.

Her true calling came to fruition nearly two decades later when she decided to apply to the OCM BOCES Practical Nursing program. 

“I did my research online, read a couple reviews, and after reading the program outline on the website, I knew this is what I had been looking for,” Beatrice said.

When she’s not in the classroom, Beatrice enjoys volunteering at senior assisted living communities—both alone and with members of her church. 

Beatrice hopes to continue working with geriatric patients following her graduation and licensing. 

“Caring for people is something that I usually do and have enjoyed for years,” she said. “Any time I’m volunteering or caring for people, I feel this satisfaction and joy within me that I’m able to make someone happy or comfortable.”