Martin Aguayo, Class of 2011, was featured in “The Calling” 2010 JTED Annual Report. The article focuses on how JTED’s Nursing Assistant Program changed his life.
Here’s the article:
Two days after Martin Aguayo celebrated his 16th birthday, his daughter, Adelina, was born. It hit Martin fast that he had to turn his life around. He could no longer afford to experiment with drugs, party, or get into fights, and he had to find a way to support his daughter. He balanced being on the wrestling team at Pueblo High School with his school work, but gave up playing football so that he could become a responsible, loving dad.
Martin found the career opportunity he needed while he sat in his homeroom class during his junior year. The teacher handed him a JTED pre-enrollment form and asked if he was interested in taking a class, and added that it was free. “I was reading the form and saw classes for construction and firefighting and then I saw certified Nursing Assistant (CNA). I chose CNA because there will always be sick people. It’s not like they’re going to be laying off people in healthcare,” he says.
The roughest part of getting through the CNA program for Martin was having to wake Adelina, feed her breakfast and get her ready for the day, then spend long days at school and not return home until 8 o’clock at night. He’d have a mere half hour or hour to spend with his daughter before her bedtime.
Now that Martin has passed his Arizona Board of Nursing CNA exam, he will begin working as a Certified Nurse Assistant at Handmaker Assisted Living. “They liked my work and told me if I was interested in a job to apply because they would hire me,” he says. Martin will start his coursework to become a Registered Nurse at Pima Community College in December, and plans to earn his bachelor’s degree in nursing at the University of Arizona. “JTED has given me an open door to a career, it has given me a better way to support my daughter,” says Martin.
“I want people to know that it is possible to change your life around,” he says. “You just have to listen and realize that there are always people to help you.”
Martin says he’ll likely stick with geriatric nursing. “Elderly patients have some great stories to tell, and they have very different personalities because the way they grew up is a lot different than the way we did,” he says. “It makes me feel good to help them out and to be there for them because sometimes their family can’t
do that.”
“I recognized Martin’s drive and passion for healthcare before I even met him, as he worked through his online prerequisite course. His ability to solve problems, think critically and work with his peers, are the traits of a seasoned healthcare professional,” says CNA Instructor Beth Francis, R.N., “Martin’s compassion, and his natural ability to effectively communicate and connect with his patients will make him an extraordinary nurse.”
“I think of Ms. Francis as a second mom, because if I ever have trouble outside of school or outside the clinical facility, I can always call her and she’ll help me out. I’m going to be staying in touch with her for a while,” says Martin.