Malia had big plans for her near future. Not only did she plan to get married in July of 2022, but also complete her Nursing degree in December with the least amount of debt as possible. Malia heard about the grant from a SVSU faculty member and immediately contacted GST Michigan Works! in Caro to learn more. Malia came to the service center in October of 2021 and realized that she qualified for WIOA funding due to never having a full-time job for more than a year and working part-time for Grub Hub without benefits.

“I began nursing school during COVID. Everything was shut down, and I was completing all my face-to-face classes virtually. With everything being shut down, I was no longer able to work at the job I had at the time. Although it was helpful to have extra time to focus just on school, my school bills just kept coming despite my inability to work. I had saved a good amount of funds to get through the next semester but was unsure of how I would pay for anything beyond that. My goal was always to complete college without any debt, so I worked hard all summer and throughout the school year to achieve that goal. It no longer looked possible after being unable to work during Covid. I received an email from a faculty member letting me know about the scholarship through GST MI Works! and I contacted them. GST Michigan Works! was amazing! If it was not for GST, I would not have been able to pay for my degree or my NCLEX. I am forever grateful for the funds they provided so I could pursue my dream of being a Registered Nurse!”

“Going to SVSU for my nursing degree was the best decision I could have made. I am thankful to all the staff and faculty there who have given me excellent teaching and clinical experience to feel prepared for this new role as a Registered Nurse. Starting nursing school during COVID added extra challenges, but the staff did well to adapt to the pandemic and still provide us with the best academic experience possible.”

“Networking with GST Michigan Works! was amazing and very helpful. As I was looking for a job during the pandemic, GSTMW provided me with multiple contacts and resources for finding a job and even reached out to some of the contacts for me to notify them I would be inquiring.

This was not only helpful for me as I looked for a job but benefits local Employers in building their workforce. While I was completing my degree, a GST employee would check in with me just to see how I was doing, how my classes were going and would offer any additional support I needed. Having someone who cared and was invested in me as a student and future RN was so meaningful.”

Malia was placed at MyMichigan Health in Midland for her leadership experience and was offered a day-shift RN position on the Medical Oncology unit. She began working at MyMichigan Health in Midland on January 9th, 2023, as an RN and will be making $33.44/hour after completing her NCLEX exam on January 21st. She not only accomplished her goal of becoming a Nurse but did so without the burden of student loan debt!