Program Details

Nineteen year-old Abigail White was expecting her first child when she enrolled in the WIOA program.  She was a high school graduate, enlisted member of the Army National Guard, and had her nurse assistant certification. She was employed on a very part-time basis at a nursing home in Virginia, Illinois.

She applied for WIOA funding assistance to help her complete LPN training at the Capital Area School of Practical Nursing in Springfield.  She knew that support services would also be quite helpful as she had to travel approximately 94 miles each day from Virginia, Illinois to the Capital Area School of Practical Nursing in Springfield.  Expecting a child in the near future would also require that she have childcare assistance. 

Abigail was driven to advance in her nursing career due to previously struggling financially with lower wages, always dreaming of becoming a nurse, and she wanted to have a stable career so that she could sufficiently support herself and her family.

CASPN was experiencing many changes due to the pandemic.  Students were adjusting to hybrid schedules and platforms of learning.  A few months down the road Abigail ended up having to take a leave of absence from school due to her pregnancy.  She gave birth to a healthy baby girl, secured a childcare provider, and restarted her training in February of 2021. Abby was so glad to finally be back in class in-person.  However, her return was short lived as less than two weeks later she was in a car accident and broke her hand which forced her to have to take another leave of absence because with this type of injury she could not be allowed to perform necessary duties in a clinical setting.

Although discouraged, Abby took the time necessary to heal, continue to study, and spend more time with her daughter.  She restarted training for the second time in August 2021.

While being a new mom, having a few bumps in the road, and having to travel almost 100 miles five days each week, Abby maintained above average grades and finally completed her training in December of 2021.  She also got married. 

Abby passed her State Board exam on her first attempt and attained her LPN license in February of 2022.  She also started working as a nurse in a State correctional facility earning more than double her program entry level rate of pay, and a sign-on bonus.  She is grateful for the assistance and continuous encouragement she received, and very excited for the next chapter of her life.