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Fifteen years ago, Fernando Izaguirre came to Chicago from Mexico with his parents, who were seeking life-saving surgery for his younger brother.
They never went back home.
Instead, his family, which includes four younger siblings, moved to Northwest Georgia in 1996 and began a life here.
“Chicago had a large Hispanic community, but when we moved down here, it was the opposite,” says Fernando. “I had trouble at first, especially with grammar.”
But he managed to succeed in school, graduating in 2003 from Northwest High School and enrolling in Dalton State.
Now Fernando, a first-year student in the College’s Registered Nursing program, feels drawn to the medical field, and wonders “what’s not to like” about entering the nursing profession. He likes knowing that jobs will always be in demand, that he’ll be able to help people who are sick, and that there’s lots of room to advance in the profession.
“My biggest surprise about nursing was how difficult the program at Dalton State is,” says Fernando, who has earned a 3.75 GPA and is highly respected by the nursing faculty.
“I love the program, but it’s very hard, very challenging,” he adds, noting that he hopes to eventually become a nurse anesthetist by earning his CRNA credentials.
Fernando says that he’d like to continue his education to as far as he can in his field, and looks forward to the time when he can help patients “make the pain go away.”
“When I think about nursing, I realize that there’s so much that goes into it. There’s so much to be learned. I’m looking forward to it.”
Fernando, who benefits from funding through The Goizueta Foundation Scholarship program at Dalton State, receives a yearly stipend to help him continue his studies.
“I am extremely grateful to have this Scholarship,” he says. “It’s made all the difference.”
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