This weekend ended a 30-year journey for nursing graduate Sue Gagne.
It began with a chemistry class in January 1993, one of the prerequisites for a nursing degree.
However, Gagne’s path took a different turn, with baby Allison’s arrival that same year, and the decision that school would be too rigorous to do simultaneously while raising her daughter.
“I ended up choosing a different path. I went on to have a career in mental health and chemical addiction, and focused on my family,” she said.
Her second child, baby Joe, came in 2002. Time went on, the kids got older, and Gagne revisited former goals.
“Once my son got to high school, my dream of becoming a nurse came back to mind,” she said. “With a strong support system of people in my life who encouraged me to follow my dreams, it became a reality. So almost 30 years later, I started taking one class at a time — biology, anatomy 1, then anatomy 2.”
And then one of the big moments happened: “I was accepted to the nursing program.”
“I started the program in the fall of 2021, and here we are two years later,” Gagne said, answering The Batavian’s question of how it feels to walk across that stage. “Amazing. Although this was the absolute hardest thing I have ever done, it is also the most rewarding. My professors and classmates were absolutely wonderful, and I couldn't have asked for a better experience.”
She has two pieces of advice for anyone who might be dragging your heels to pursue a longtime goal or passion: “I would encourage anyone who has a dream not to hesitate,” Gagne said. “Get around some good people who will support your dream and go after it.”
