From our 2010 Annual Report, here’s a blast from the past. This success story features Jennifer and Michelle—two former Ed Fund participants from HCA’s Riverside Community Hospital, on their journey from LVNs to RNs through the Education Fund’s STEP program (now College Courses). We are proud to have supported them and countless others who’ve benefited from our programs over the past two decades.
“The experience was amazing! It was efficient, user-friendly and not at all complicated. If you don’t know where to start, just meet with a Career Counselor and they will guide you along the way.”
As we celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the Education Fund, we’re shining a spotlight on twenty reasons people love their Ed Fund benefit. Samantha was inspired to become an RN at Dignity Health Mercy Hospital in Sacramento after hours of watching nurses care for her mother during a long illness. With the help of the Education Fund, Samantha’s dream of becoming a nurse has come true.
“The use of my Ed Fund benefits has elevated me to the top of my pay grade in my position.”
As we continue to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Education Fund, we’re sharing this 2023 testimonial of Ann Wallace from Kaiser Permanente Roseville. Ann’s story is just one example of how we’ve been making a difference since day one, supporting members like her in reaching their goals.
In recognition of the Education Fund’s 20th anniversary, here’s a success story from our 2012 Annual Report. With the support of the Education Fund, Jevry Norimarna went from Certified Nursing Assistant to Respiratory Care Practitioner at Kaiser Permanente. The support of his Career Counselor helped keep him on track and he graduated his program with honors, going on to receive a wage increase of 48%! Stories like this show the impact our programs and services have had on the lives of our members over the past two decades.
“I am grateful for this benefit that helps hard-working people like me to go back to school and move up in our careers.”
From the time I migrated to the USA from Indonesia, I planned to go back to school. I enrolled in a Certified Nursing Assistant Program, which opened my eyes to bigger horizons in the healthcare profession. I went on to get certified as an EKG technician and was hired at Kaiser Permanente, South San Francisco. When I learned about the Respiratory Therapy Program at Skyline College, I was eager to further my education but worried about finding the time to go to school. Luckily, my manager introduced me to the Stipend Program. If not for her, I would not have been able to complete my training. The program was not easy. For the entire two years, I took no vacations and did no socializing. I had to wake up at 3:00am every day to keep up with my classes. I was blessed to have Daisy Kinyauo as my Education Fund counselor. She was always on my side when I had questions. Everything paid off, and I graduated with high honors and was awarded “Outstanding Student.” In October 2010, I found a new benefitted job as a Respiratory Care Practitioner at my home facility, getting paid 48% more than I did before. I am now registered as a student at Oregon Institute of Technology to get my Bachelor’s degree in Respiratory Care so I can continue my professional growth.
Jevry with his Education Fund counselor, Daisy Kinyauo. “Because of her care, I felt I had the obligation to prove that I could do well in the program.”
We invite you to explore the report using the document viewer below, or feel free to view or download it in PDF format. Enjoy!