WIA Youth Program Newsletter
In the Spotlight!
with Katie Riley 

My name is Katie Riley, and I’ve been involved in WIA for a number of years now. This  past year I graduated from the program. I have also graduated  from Edison Community College with my Associate’s Degree in Nursing. 

I was not always sure what my goals were, but after going on a short term mission’s trip to Guatemala, I knew that I wanted to do something big with my life. I wanted to help people in ways they could not help themselves. I wanted to hop on a plane and go right back, but it doesn’t work like that. In order to do anything useful, anything more than what everyone else could do, I needed the training. I am not entirely a huge fan of school; I love learning new things, but I feel stifled by the environment of a classroom, and the traditional mode of education being books and tests. I had to work around my learning disabilities. It was hard, but it was worth it. 

Sometimes what you want most can only be achieved by not only hard work, but a lot of time. I attended Edison for 3 and ½ years to obtain a 2 year degree. I had to work to aford the classes and driving, and I had to live at home which can be humbling as a young adult who wants independence. Now that I have the degree it still isn’t over. I now have to take the state boards, get a job,  and work my  way through a bachelor’s degree. After all that, I will finally be able to help in an area with incredible need, and serve in the role I have wanted to since the first time I set foot in a world completely different from our own. 

This is just one article from the March-April edition of the WIA Newsletter. Click for a downloadable pdf of the full newsletter here.