Student begins career, and earning potential, early through Gateway
Cora Hjelmberg began her health care career and earning potential early by taking college courses before she even graduated from high school.
The Elkhorn High School senior earned a Gateway Technical College Nursing Assistant technical diploma as a junior and parlayed that into a solid-paying job at an area hospital and a foundation for her future career.
“I like my job,” says Cora. “I like that I’m able to help people. I like being that person that they can call and I can help them. If they want to talk, I am there to listen.”
Cora says she initially took the college coursework because she has a goal of entering the health care field as neonatologist and thought the training and work would give her a great first-hand look at health care.
“I like helping people, and that pushed me to at least try it to see if I liked it,” she says. “I liked it a lot, so I took my state tests, passed them, and I am where I am now. I’m happy.”
She also thought it would be good to take this look while she’s in high school – rather than finding out in college or later in life she might not like the career field.
“I think it’s better to know now than to explore a career in college and then you don’t like it,” says Cora. “I know people who are in their 40s and still don’t know where they want to go.”