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How can I turn my background and challenges into strengths while pursuing a career as a Respiratory Therapist and building a better and secure future for my family and I?

I come from south central, a low income community and raised by a single mother who early on showed me the true meaning of resilience. I started pursuing college but just like the rest of the world my plans were disrupted by Covid. shortly after I became pregnant and later became a military spouse. constant transitions have made it difficult to maintain a stable job. Despite these challenges I want to continue my education to create stability for myself and family while becoming yet another example and strong resilient woman for myself and my son. I am currently trying to navigate how to stay on track on my educational aspirations and short/term long term goals while managing financial balancing and no support from family.

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Larry’s Answer

I admire your drive to set an example for women empowerment. Take out a private student loan (a lot them have decreased their interest rates by a lot recently), remember you do not have to pay while in school, unless you want to. Once you graduated you will have 6 months of grace period in which you will be required to start paying back. RT school can be tough, but once you finished it, it becomes easier when you work. Find a good balance between work, school, and your son. If you feel like you cannot work, then take out a carefully, calculated private loan to help you with expenses. During clinical rotations, do not disrespect any of your preceptors or their coworkers, remember you are a guest working under their licenses. Treat all of your clinical rotations as your potential work interview. RT community is very very very small, and you will hear this a lot, so treat everyone including your classmates with respect. Always have a mindset of willing to learn, be initiative in helping others and want to be exposed to things you don't know. Make sure to ask any questions you need to ask, no questions are stupid questions, because I promise you the ones that tend to have high ego or know-it-all don't usually last or end up in a hole. When you become a preceptor, treat your students with respect. When you're in the classroom setting, put all of your focus into the mechanical ventilator class because this is the core of our profession. If you are ever concerned about the RT money, just know that you can pay off your student loan in less than a year, it all comes down to your work ethic. Welcome to the profession and I wish you the best of luck Wendy!
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Matt’s Answer

Taking the step to seek guidance is already a great move forward. Mentorship is a valuable way to learn from others' experiences and setbacks. We all face different challenges, and finding your "why" can help you overcome them. Your "why" is the motivation that will push you through tough times when you feel unsure. Everyone's "why" is unique, whether it's your child, your spouse, your health, or breaking a cycle of family challenges. It seems like you've seen your mother's resilience and how she overcame obstacles.

Life will always have challenges, but while we can't control what happens, we can choose how we respond. As you've seen from your mom, positive reactions not only help you but also inspire those around you.

I wish you all the best and encourage you to discover your "why."
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