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"Samantha (Sam) Vazquez" Minding Hope Series

quot;Samantha (Sam) Vazquezquot;
Minding Hope Series
Melinda Finn

Size: 20quot;x26quot;
Media: Color Print from Digital Image

Price:

Sam was accepted at UC Riverside and was planning to study psychology there, when, as a high school senior, she found out she was pregnant and decided to go a different route. She received her license as a Certified Nursing Assistant right after her daughter Jianna was born, and worked for three years in skilled nursing facilities before moving on to Scripps Green Hospital, where she works in the Definitive Observation Unit/telemetry.
ldquo;I fell in love with not only the medical field but nursing specifically,rdquo; Sam said.


She started the nursing program at Palomar College in 2015, knowing that as a working single mother it would take her five years to receive her RN degree. When the Covid-19 pandemic became a reality, and nursing classes were put on hold, Sam had to accept that it would likely take her another year to reach that milestone. ldquo;Although this is nothing compared to what others are suffering from during this tragic time, it was still a huge hit to me because of the years of blood, sweat and tears that have gone into getting to where I am today.rdquo;

As one of those fighting on the front lines against the virus, Sam has noticed some changes in her priorities. ldquo;Right now, every healthcare workerrsquo;s biggest fear is bringing Covid-19 home and infecting their loved ones. This is definitely a big fear of mine -- but I am also happy to be in a position to help others,rdquo; she said. ldquo; These past seven weeks Irsquo;ve been able to take a step back, be in the present, and remind myself of whatrsquo;s important in my life, such as dedicating my time off to Jianna and myself. This has given me hope that, not only will this storm pass, but wersquo;ll all come out of it stronger than we were before.rdquo;
"Samantha (Sam) Vazquez" Minding Hope Series