Not every college student follows the same path, and some people have to really work their way through the experience. Even getting to college can be tough for some, not because they aren’t clever enough, but because their families can’t afford to huge fees. One man found work at a university as a janitor, and after years of hard work, he was able to graduate from the same school, but with a nursing degree.
Frank Baez
Frank Baez, 29, moved to New York with his family from the Dominican Republic in his youth. As he became a teenager, he was looking for work and found it at New York University’s Langone Tisch Hospital. Baez was working closely with the nurses at the university, and that was when the young man realized he wanted to be one of them.
He said that while working alongside the nurses, he “learned how much they advocate for their patients.” Baez was also very impressed with the “passion they have for their job.” It was while working at the university as a teen that a fire was lit under Baez as he realized what it was he wanted to do with his life.
Being Encouraged
The nurses who worked alongside Baez encouraged him to apply for the nursing degree program. They could see that being a janitor wasn’t Baez’s true calling and that he’d be better served caring for patients just like they did. After entering the nursing program, Baez was able to graduate with an impressive GPA of 3.6. The new nurse made history by becoming the first person from his family to graduate college.
A Big Transformation
When Baez first came to New York, he said he “could barely speak English,” and he was still coming to terms with it when he was hired at NYU. Now Baez can call himself a graduate, and he feels “very proud” about everything he was able to accomplish. At the age of 29, Frank Baez was ready to leave his janitor overalls behind him for good and become a fully qualified nurse.
His life has changed for the better, and it all began with his job as a janitor. Baez’s story is proof that it’s never too late to change your life and find something you’re passionate about to call your job.