Erick

Erick Sims came to HCC with a focus on environmental science. After his freshman year, he began to think about taking a different path that would include gaining hands-on experience to prepare for a nursing career. Not sure where to begin, he spoke with a friend who was working towards becoming a physician assistant. She strongly encouraged him to take HCC’s certified nursing assistant (CNA) course to see if it validated his interest in nursing.

Shortly after Erick enrolled in the CNA course, he knew he had found his calling. He credits HCC’s instructors for helping him discover his passion for helping others and for providing him with the skill set he was looking for. “The teachers made it a great experience. Even when we were doing clinical work, the nurses helped give us more on what we needed to do.”

Since completing the course, Erick became a full-time staff member of the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center at the University of Maryland Medical Center. He plans to become a registered nurse (RN) before working on a doctorate in nursing. He is also thinking about becoming a surgeon.

“In all medical careers, patient care comes first. It takes a lot of effort to make sure that patients are taken care of properly,” he says. “The CNA course at HCC was a great foundation and it gave me the experience that I needed to get the job that I have now.”