Strong Faith and An Abundance of Success
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Her friends say she made it look easy. While working full-time as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), and raising two children on her own, Clarissa Broaddus graduated with honors from Brown Mackie College – Indianapolis. For Clarissa, however, the reality of earning a Diploma in Practical Nursing was anything but easy.
With classes and work obligations requiring more than 50 hours a week away from home, Clarissa and her two teenagers had to move in with her mother. “There were times when I was truly overwhelmed and wanted to quit college," she says. "We gave up so much just for me to attend. I was not about to quit."
Clarissa takes no credit for graduating with honors. “You know what got me through?” she asks. “It was God. When I studied, I prayed for my mind to open so I could receive knowledge. I didn’t even know my grade point average (GPA). I just wanted to pass,” she says. Clarissa prayed not only for herself, but also for everyone in her class. She also let her classmates know that she was praying for them. “Sometimes my classmates asked me to join them in prayer before class,” Clarrisa says.
While enrolled in the program, Clarissa never missed a day of class and always took a front row seat. “I asked all the questions I wanted, and the instructors always provided answers,” she says. Classmates would sometimes roll their eyes when she raised her hand. “I’m trying to learn,” she would tell them with a smile. “It didn’t matter to me if others thought I asked too many questions. I was serious about my education,” she says. Clarissa appreciated the one-class-a-month format because it helped maintain her focus one class at a time.
Clarissa was invited to and spoke at the Brown Mackie College – Indianapolis 2011 Graduation Ceremony. “I was excited to say to faculty and staff, ‘Look what I’ve done. Look what you’ve helped me become,’” she says.
Clarissa now misses attending Brown Mackie College – Indianapolis. "When they offer a Registered Nursing (RN) program, I’ll be right there ready to enroll," she says. "My goal is to become a nursing instructor."
Clarissa's employer is American Village, a senior community in Indianapolis where she previously worked as a CNA and Qualified Medication Aide. Since graduating in May 2010, she works as a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), responsible for an Alzheimer’s unit of 32 patients. In August 2011, Clarissa married Raphael Harris and once again enjoys a new beginning.
Brown Mackie College is a system of over 25 schools located throughout North America.
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