ROBERTO RAMIREZ
KAISER PERMANENTE
I had wanted to go back to school for a while, but it had been 7 years since I graduated and I was scared. Between fear and excuses, I was impeding myself from moving forward in my career. After taking several Skills Builders classes, including CPR, Study Skills, and Medical Terminology, I began to believe I could do well in college.
Now I’m enrolled in the STEP program to help me get my A.A. in Science. The Education Fund is paying for my books, tuition, and fees. When I was struggling with English, the Education Fund provided me with tutoring. A month ago I told my counselor that I sprained my ankle, and she helped me apply to a program at the college that helps me get to my classes on time. All of the support and help makes me feel like I can’t fail. I have a 4.0 this semester, and I would not have been able to do it without the Education Fund.
I’m a father, I’m working 40 hours a week, I’m a full-time student, and I’m feeling great. My next dream is that I want to pursue my Bachelor’s in Health and enroll in the KP School of Allied Health Science’s Radiography Program. With the financial, emotional, and academic support that the Education Fund offers, I’d be a fool not to take advantage of it and pursue my dream.
I had wanted to go back to school for a while, but it had been 7 years since I graduated and I was scared. Between fear and excuses, I was impeding myself from moving forward in my career. After taking several Skills Builders classes, including CPR, Study Skills, and Medical Terminology, I began to believe I could do well in college.
Now I’m enrolled in the STEP program to help me get my A.A. in Science. The Education Fund is paying for my books, tuition, and fees. When I was struggling with English, the Education Fund provided me with tutoring. A month ago I told my counselor that I sprained my ankle, and she helped me apply to a program at the college that helps me get to my classes on time. All of the support and help makes me feel like I can’t fail. I have a 4.0 this semester, and I would not have been able to do it without the Education Fund.
I’m a father, I’m working 40 hours a week, I’m a full-time student, and I’m feeling great. My next dream is that I want to pursue my Bachelor’s in Health and enroll in the KP School of Allied Health Science’s Radiography Program. With the financial, emotional, and academic support that the Education Fund offers, I’d be a fool not to take advantage of it and pursue my dream.
I’ve come full circle in my life. I was born in the Kaiser facility where I now work. I began working at Kaiser Permanente as a housekeeping attendant in 2009 the same year my father went through open-heart surgery. I met an Education Fund counselor who encouraged me to start taking classes. I hadn’t been in school for 7 years so I was nervous, but I wanted to take a chance. My counselor suggested I take one class at first to build my study skills and confidence. I chose a Medical Terminology course because during my father’s surgery I couldn’t understand everything the doctors were saying. I did well in that class, so when I heard about the green certification course I signed up. We learned about sustainable practices and did research. As part of this program, we reduced waste and saved Kaiser an estimated $18,000. My life has really changed by participating in Education Fund programs. After completing my certification, I became a trainer. I never thought I had it in me to teach a group of EVS workers about green practices. Now people are asking my advice and really taking to heart what I teach them. It’s very gratifying. My next step is to get certified as bilingual. After that I am thinking about going back to school and pursuing a career a Radiologic Technologist.
I have been a CNA at All Saints Sub Acute and Rehab Center for 10 years. I learned about the Education Fund benefit when we were renegotiating our bargaining agreement and they wanted to take it out. We didn’t want this benefit removed, so we began to take classes.
I would like to start off by saying that I would not be an RN right now if it weren’t for the Education Fund. I am a wife and mother of two young children, so I needed a full-time income in order to survive. The Ed Fund gave me that little bit of flexibility with my schedule that allowed me enough time to study. I must also commend the counselors, who were very supportive and always available when I needed them or had questions.
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 an 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 benefited 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.