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Nick Goodman’s journey to becoming a registered nurse didn’t follow a traditional path.
Nick Goodman’s journey to becoming a registered nurse didn’t follow a traditional path. Though he had previously earned a bachelor’s degree in political science, Nick found himself stuck in a cycle of bartending and sales jobs that left him unhappy and unfulfilled.
Determined to find meaningful work, he decided to go back to school to pursue a career in medicine—a field his siblings were already a part of. Three weeks after walking out of his sales job, Nick enrolled in classes at Truman College. Truman seemed like the perfect place to start over due to its radiography program he was interested in, and it was close to his home. Nick never anticipated how profoundly life-changing his time at Truman would be.
Shortly after enrolling, Nick had a conversation with Truman anatomy and physiology instructor Dr. Farjana Najam that changed the entire trajectory of his life. Recognizing his talent and passion for learning, she challenged him to think beyond radiography.
“’You need something that will challenge you every day,’ she told me,” Nick said. “In just ten minutes, she convinced me to consider nursing and to continue my education to get my masters of nursing.”
Nick was craving a career he could be proud of, so he took Dr. Najam’s advice. He applied to Rush University’s master’s degree program in nursing and was accepted into the prestigious school. From that moment on, Nick’s life has been on an upward trajectory.
Today, Nick works at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab. He is a registered nurse, a certified rehabilitation nurse, and a clinical nurse leader. After serving as the clinical nurse coordinator overseeing a spinal cord injury unit, he transitioned into an administrative role as the hospital’s nursing student coordinator. In this position, he mentors the next generation of nurses, onboarding more than 500 students a year and creating pathways for pre-nursing students—including those at Truman College—to gain hands-on experience.
“At Truman, my instructors had the time and space to engage with me, to challenge me, and to push me forward,” Nick said.
He encourages students to take advantage of the resources available, from tutoring centers to office hours, and to be open to the guidance of mentors.
"If not for Dr. Najam and Truman, I wouldn’t be where I am today. I wouldn’t have my career, my family, or the life I have now. That one conversation changed everything."
For more than 25 years, Jocelyn Sanders built a successful career as a salon owner and licensed cosmetologist. But deep down, there were still goals she wanted to complete, like going back to school.
After my time in the military, I decided to enroll at Wilbur Wright College. I saw it as an opportunity for a fresh start. I was determined to take full advantage of every resource available to me. I learned how to study and take notes, I met with my advisors, I networked with my peers, and I was enjoying all my classes. One day, one of my professors took notice of my hard work and dedication and asked me a simple question that changed the entire trajectory of my life: “How are you paying for college?”
In 2013, Hugh Nguyen immigrated to the United States from Vietnam, eager to embrace new opportunities despite not speaking English.
Malcolm X College nursing graduate Deon Jones is no stranger to City Colleges. He began his nursing career 12 years ago at Wilbur Wright College and went on to become a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN). More than a decade later, he's back at Malcolm X to advance in the field of nursing.
