Discovering the power of nursingRaisa Gwyneth Javan began her college career more than 2,000 miles away from home, chasing a liberal arts degree in California. But when her father was diagnosed with cancer, everything changed. She returned home to help care for him—and in the process, found her true calling. Inspired by the compassionate nurses who supported her family through their most difficult moments, Raisa shifted course and enrolled in Oakton’s nursing program. Today, she’s preparing to be a new graduate nurse, equipped with both clinical experience and a network of mentors and friends who helped her get there.
When Compassion Made the Difference
Seeing her father’s care team in action left a lasting impression on Raisa—and planted the seed for a new direction.
“I just felt really lost at the time. But what stuck with me was how the nurses took the time to explain things I didn’t understand—all the medical jargon. I was only 20, and it was overwhelming. They were so busy, but still made space for one-on-one time with me, and that meant a lot. I’m someone who likes to understand the ins and outs of things, and that really stayed with me. It made me realize: maybe I can do what they do.”
A First Step That Made It Real
Before entering Oakton’s two-year nursing program, Raisa started in the Basic Nurse Assistant Training (BNAT) certificate program, which allowed her to begin working as a certified nursing assistant (CNA).
“Working as a CNA gives you that first experience in health care to see if it’s really for you. There’s a lot of physical labor, and it’s all about teamwork. Nurses who’ve worked as CNAs—you can tell. They’re the ones jumping in to help. Doing Oakton’s BNAT program while finishing my prerequisites helped me get into the field quickly and figure out that this was the right path for me.”
Support, Study Sessions, and Showing Up
Raisa quickly found that the key to thriving in Oakton’s rigorous nursing program was collaborating with the people around her.
“From the start, I knew I couldn’t do this alone. I made it a point to find the students who sat in the front, who liked to participate. I found my friend group pretty fast. We’ve helped each other through it—study sessions, explaining things to each other. The clinical experience was incredible too. Being in the hospital, putting everything into practice, I felt confident. Oakton is really good about exposing us to real life situations prior to putting us into the clinical setting. Working in the hospital made all the hard work feel worth it.”
Big Dreams in Critical Care
Raisa is laying the groundwork for a bold and ambitious future.
“I hope to get into an ICU—that’s my goal. I know it’ll be a steep learning curve, but I’ve been talking to floor managers, and I’m getting the chance to shadow their units. I plan to attend University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) in the RN to BSN online program while working full time as a nurse. Then in a few years, I plan to apply to CRNA school. It’s going to be hard, but I’ve already seen what’s possible.”