Jacie’s Story

CHARTING HEALTH CARE CAREER THROUGH TRAINING, SCHOLARSHIP 

Jacie set her eyes on a career in health care at the age of 12 after visiting her great-grandmother in a nursing home. It was then she “felt a calling” to care for the geriatric population and be a “ray of sunshine” wherever she worked. That heart, coupled with an interest in studying health and the human body, has Jacie on a career path that began right out of high school. 

Jacie first worked as a part-time home caregiver in an assisted living community. After deciding her next step was to train to become a nursing assistant, Jacie researched options for where she could take a course. 

“One of my friends took a nursing assistant class through the Nebraska Health Care Learning Center and told me what a wonderful experience it was,” said Jacie. The Nebraska Health Care Learning Center is a private, post-secondary career school licensed and accredited by the Nebraska Department of Education. It offers both in-person and hybrid (in-person and virtual) training and testing options across the state. 

With the question of where to take the course solved, Jacie next pondered how to pay for it. 

“I had wanted to take nursing assistant training for a while but hesitated due to the cost,” said Jacie. “I’m a full-time college student and work part-time, and money does not come easily. I’m always looking for scholarships and found one through the Nebraska Health Care Foundation.” The Nebraska Health Care Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization and a member charity of Combined Health Agencies Drive, or CHAD. 

Jacie now works as a nursing assistant in a nursing home. She attributes the confidence she feels in her new role to the training she received through the Nebraska Health Care Learning Center course. 

“I have already seen the impact the Nebraska Health Care Learning Center has had on my work,” said Jacie. “I feel very comfortable with what I am doing as a nursing assistant. The class prepared me well.” 

Jacie says the steps she has taken have her well on her way to achieving her goal of becoming a physician. For this, she is grateful to the donors who provided the scholarship through the Nebraska Health Care Foundation. 

“The scholarship from the Nebraska Health Care Foundation took away the stress of worrying about how to pay for the class,” said Jacie. “It was such a blessing.” 

Visit www.nehca.org for more information.