Bre is Home

During the height of the pandemic, Bre worked tirelessly as a nursing assistant. She witnessed firsthand the overwhelming demands placed on nurses and healthcare professionals and the critical need for quality healthcare. Despite the challenges and burnout, Bre wished she could do more—and knew it would require going back to school to become a nurse. In 2022, she embarked on this journey by enrolling at LaGuardia Community College. 

However, after just one semester Bre encountered a significant obstacle when she lost her housing. Searching for an apartment showed her that rents were increasing quickly, and she realized that to afford them she would have to go back to work as a nursing assistant… and abandon her dreams of becoming a nurse. The uncertainty of where she would live threatened to derail her education and aspirations. She was days away from either dropping out or becoming homeless and the stress began to take a toll on her grades. 

Bre knew that a nursing degree would enable her to help patients and afford higher rent. But there was no way for her to continue her education and work overtime to pay rent.

Fortunately, during this pivotal time, NCS Scholars was there to help students just like Bre. With the support of NCS, Bre had a safe and secure place to call home. She was also connected with a tutor, who helped her pass chemistry with flying colors. And Bre's case manager checked in with her regularly to make sure she was doing well emotionally and socially as well as academically. 

Bre is on course to graduate with a nursing degree next Spring. This degree will enable her to increase her lifetime earning potential and break the cycle of poverty for not only herself but future generations as well.

You can hear some of Bre’s story in her own words and learn more about NCS Scholars in the short video below: