Student Success
Hailey Briseno
I have always loved the blending of art and science in
healthcare—the art of humanitarianism and the science of evidence-based
practice. I truly have a heart for
people, and I love that my education at NIC Workforce Training Center has
provided me with opportunities to care for patients of all ages and stages of
life.
When I entered college, I began taking pre-medicine courses in the basic sciences with the eventual goal of going to medical school. My pre-medicine advisor at Whitworth University recommended I look into obtaining my CNA so that I could gain clinical experience in the field while also completing my pre-medicine studies. Prior to attending NIC Workforce Training Center I served as a Teen Volunteer at Kootenai Health (then Kootenai Medical Center) and developed an interest in medicine and healthcare.
I first started taking courses at NIC Workforce Training Center in June 2012, when I enrolled in the Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) program. I had just completed my freshman year of college at Whitworth, and I was looking to gain clinical experience in the medical field in order to further explore my career interests.
I went on to work as a CNA during college, and upon graduation I started working as a pre-medicine student intern at Kootenai Health Emergency Department. It was while I was working in the emergency department that I learned of the Certified Mental Health Assistant (CMHA) course, which appealed to me because of my interest in psychology and experiences working with psychiatric patients in the emergency department. The CMHA course was a great hands-on, clinically focused course to complement my liberal arts education in psychology.
While enrolled in the CMHA course, I began working as a Mental Health Specialist for Northern Idaho Crisis Center. I was later offered a teaching position at NIC Workforce Training Center, where I would go on to teach Adult Mental Health First Aid, Youth Mental Health First Aid, and Certified Mental Health Assistant courses.
My work as a CNA served as the perfect hands-on, clinical complement to my studies in the classroom and only furthered my passion for medicine.
Dotty Heberer has been an absolutely wonderful educator and mentor to me over the years. She has been with me from the first day of my CNA course in 2012 all the way through to my current employment with NIC Workforce Training. It has been an honor to learn from her and work with her over the years. Dotty is always so positive and encouraging, and her faith in me carried through even in moments when my own faith in myself was uncertain. Everyone at NIC Workforce Training Center has been so wonderful. There’s a natural element of transition that comes with continuing your education and pursuing new career goals, and the staff have been very supportive of me during my time as a student, trainee, and now employee.
I am excited to share that I have been accepted to University of Washington School of Medicine for the fall.