While starting school during the pandemic was challenging, Nicole L. said she never missed a beat while at American Career College-Orange County.
“This school is amazing at making us feel included and getting us in clinicals,” she said. “I always feel appreciated at this campus.”
Prior to attending ACC-Orange County, Nicole worked in retail. It was through the inspiration of her family that she decided to pursue a career in healthcare as a vocational nurse.
“My whole family works in the medical field, so I was always drawn to it,” she said. “I just naturally love helping people, so I’ve always wanted to do nursing.”
Even though Nicole began her program studying online and first met her cohort virtually, she said she was still able to bond with her classmates before eventually returning to on-campus learning.
“We would meet on our own time and just get on Zoom and go through study guides, or make our own,” she said. “It really helped to find that group of friends that you could work with and studied best with.”
Now an ACC graduate, Nicole dreams of continuing her education.
“I would love to eventually bridge to a bachelor of science in nursing program, and my end goal is nurse practitioner,” she shared. “But starting out I would love to work in a hospital on a medical-surgical floor.”
When reflecting on her experience at ACC-OC, Nicole said the staff was always willing to help.
“The VN office is always open,” she said. “The school is just amazing in general; you can get through the program fast and you learn a lot. It’s intense but it’s worth it in the end.”
