Glendale Community College
Home MenuGCC is proud to help train the heroes who are on the frontlines in the battle to keep us healthy and safe. These GCC alumni share their individual stories in their journey to turn a dream into a career.
MICHAEL BARCENA
When did you attend GCC and complete the nursing program?
I attended GCC LVN to RN program in 2018
Did you transfer and pursue a higher degree or training?
Currently in my last few semesters at Chamberlain College
Where do you work now and what is your position?
I am working as an RN at LAC USC Medical Center- Department of Emergency Medicine.
Why did you choose this career and to attend GCC?
Half my family is diabetic, my aunts and uncles are type two and a handful of my cousins are type 1. Growing up I thought diabetes was a part of life and everyone was going to get it including myself. I became a nurse because I wanted to understand why my family would get sick and why they needed to be in the hospital.
GCC was one of the many schools I applied to. I specifically applied to GCC because there was no waitlist, you apply and you find out in a reasonable amount of time whether you got in or did not and try again for the next start date.
What is a valuable lesson/skill you learned at GCC?
“If you lose your urine, you lose your patient.” - Professor Vale
How is your career going?
I became an LVN in 2010 and have worked in home health/ private care, clinics, convalescent home, and now hospital. My career has led me to meet so many wonderful patients and nurses that have impacted my growth as a person. A decade after starting a career in nursing I am where I have always wanted to be, in the emergency room as an RN. I feel my career is just getting started, I have so much to learn which is what I love about this career, there is always something to learn.
What is one of your favorite things you like about your career?
Growing up my father was a handyman, he could do a little bit of everything. What I love about nursing is that I can do just that. Nurses do a little bit of everything, you can drop us in any setting, and over time we adapt. I’ve worked with women during their pregnancy from my time at LAC USC OB/GYN High-Risk Clinic and have cared for their babies years later when I transferred to the pediatric urgent care and again caring for the parent while working in the primary care clinic.
Any advice to someone considering this path?
Keep your reason “why” in front of you, don’t forget why you started.
When times get tough and you are overwhelmed take a break, step back, assess your stress, make adjustments, and get back to it.
20 percent of what you do today will affect the remaining 80 percent of your life.- The Pareto Principle. (how my mind applies the Pareto Principle)
Learn how your brain retains and understands information. A lot of my learning comes from podcasts, sports medicine, and learning on the go through patient care.
When did you attend GCC and complete the nursing program?
I attended GCC the 2017-2018 academic year and completed the nursing program in December of 2018.
Did you transfer and pursue a higher degree or training?
Yes, I did. I am currently enrolled in a BSN program at Cal State San Marcos, which is an online program that gives me the flexibility to work full-time while continuing my education.
Where do you work now and what is your position?
I currently work at USC Verdugo Hills hospital, and I work as a critical care nurse in the ICU/CCU department.
Why did you choose this career and to attend GCC?
I choose this career because I wanted to help others. I was born premature, and while in the NICU, my mother always talked about how the nurses helped my family during that hard and scary time. The NICU nurses were there day and night, making sure I was getting the best care possible.
What is a valuable lesson/skill you learned at GCC?
I developed a ton of skills while at GCC, honestly, the nursing program set me up to be comfortable as a new nurse going out in the world. The skills I learned at GCC allowed me to develop competence in providing safe and outstanding care.
One lesson I learned while at GCC was that it’s okay to ask for help and that you're never alone because you’re always supported by a team of healthcare professionals. I had a great group of classmates (The Great 8 🙂) that were there to pick me up when I was down and needed help. Also, the staff and faculty went above and beyond to ensure my success and transition into a full-fledged nurse.
How is you career going?
My career is going great. Although I'm still a new nurse and have been providing care for about a year, I continue to learn every day and develop my skills. Especially now, with the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare workers are on the frontlines treating and caring for patients when they need it most, myself included, providing more opportunities to learn and evolve my healthcare proficiency.
What is one of your favorite things you like about your career?
One of my favorite things about my career is that every day is a different experience, and each day I learn something new. Despite a long shift, I am able to go home reset and come back ready for a new day of challenges.
Any advice to someone considering this path?
If someone wanted to choose nursing as a career path, I’d say do it. Nursing is a great career with plenty of opportunities to offer care for people during a scary and dark time in their lives, and that in itself is a reward. Also, when you see a patient who is sick, and they recover and are discharged, this brings about a great sense of fulfillment, knowing that you assisted in their recovery.
TAYLOR HILL
When did you attend GCC and complete the nursing program?
I applied to the nursing program in August of 2017 and began my nursing journey at GCC in the Winter of 2018. I completed the program in December of 2019.
Did you transfer and pursue a higher degree or training?
I actually worked on my bachelor’s degree in Nursing concurrently at California State University, Northridge. I will be graduating in August of this year!
Where do you work now and what is your position?
I work at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank as a registered nurse in the Emergency Department
Why did you choose this career and to attend GCC?
I’ve always been interested in health care, but I wasn’t too sure what path I wanted to take. I did a clinical internship at Glendale Adventist and the second I saw nurses in the Emergency Department working, I knew that was what I wanted to do. GCC was an easy choice for me, it always felt like home.
What is a valuable lesson/skill you learned at GCC?
GCC taught me so many valuable skills in such a short amount of time. GCC taught me how to be an effective leader, a strong communicator, and most importantly an advocate for others.
How is your career going?
Joining the nursing world during a pandemic has been interesting to say the least. I am learning so much and I am so grateful for the opportunity to help those in need.
What is one of your favorite things you like about your career?
Besides getting to help others, I love the flexibility! The possibilities are endless with a nursing degree. You can work in a hospital, in a doctor’s office, even on a plane! I also love the comradery around nursing, you get to be a part of a little family.
Any advice to someone considering this path?
Don’t give up. The path to a nursing degree may not be the easiest, but it is 100% worth it. Just remember that everything happens for a reason, and you’ll get to where you are meant to be.
When did you attend GCC and complete the nursing program?
I believe it was in 2013 or 2014 when I started going to gcc for their nursing program.
Did you transfer and pursue a higher degree or training?
I am currently taking online classes at university of phoenix for my BSN.
Where do you work now and what is your position?
I currently work at Adventist Health Glendale (Glendale adventist medical center) I'm a nurse/relief charge on the cardiac telemetry unit.
Why did you choose this career and to attend GCC?
To be quite honest, I was actually pushed into nursing by my family. My mother was a nurse and my parents wanted us to pursue that path because it had many different avenues and opportunities. I did not have any career paths I was set on and I thought it would be nice to follow in my mother's footsteps. Gcc works closely with my facility, many of my coworkers also attended and I saw it as a good fit.
What is a valuable lesson/skill you learned at GCC?
One valuable lesson I learned at gcc was to take things a day at a time. I have had good days, bad days, and everything in between during my time at gcc, much like everyone else. I worked full time and went to school full time. I had to sacrifice a lot of events, family days, and time with loved ones but there was always a light at the end. I also learned that I was not alone in this. I would speak to my class mates and there wasnt a single one of us who did not struggle in one area, class, or aspect of our time. We had the support of our family, friends, teachers and most importantly one another. I wouldnt be here without the help and support of my class and I learned it was ok to ask for help.
How is you career going?
As of now, it was been 3 years since I passed my NCLEX and became a nurse. Like any other career, there is good and bad days but I have loved all of it. I am very happy with where my family and I are in life now, the flexibility nursing affords us to travel and the growth I have had both professionally and mentally during my time since becoming an RN.
What is one of your favorite things you like about your career?
One of my favorite things about my career is ironically the constant learning that takes place. I remember in many cases, I was more focused on vacation and relaxation rather than studies. I regularly reminded my self, 1 more week, almost there, we get a break soon. But in this profession, we are students for life. I love the hands on sessions we get, the new skills we constantly acquire and the way our field evolves as time passes and new information is learned. It feels like I'm a character in one of my video games who is constantly leveling up and finding new areas to explore.
Any advice to someone considering this path?
I struggled a lot both in the classroom, clinical site, and when I began my job. I have grown quite a bit since then to pass on a lot of the things I learned to new students and new hires.The path to nursing is difficult but very rewarding. The advice I would give anyone starting this path is to take it one step at a time, put in the work because it will definitely require it, take support from anywhere you can, and most importantly to realize that everyone has to start somewhere so it's ok to not have all the answers and ask for help, because one day it will be you that people run to for help.