Dan took his unemployment as an opportunity to fulfill his lifelong career goal. He visited the Waring Road Rochester Works! One Stop Career Center where Employment Counselors, Danny Jones and Edward Taggart helped Dan get the resources he needed to become a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN). A dual enrollment in TAA and Dislocated Workers programs helped cover the cost of Dan’s training, books, and other support services he needed to be a successful student.

Following his graduation from the Isabella Graham Hart School of Practical Nursing, Dan found a rewarding LPN job in the dialysis unit at Rochester General Hospital. With a patient load of about 300 people, Dan says "I love every minute of my job.” "I work with professional people and get great pay and good benefits. Nursing is an actualization of who I am and who I wanted to be."

Now that a close member of his family has been diagnosed with a serious form of hepatitis C, Dan’s dream of working in the health sciences field has become even more personal. Dan is proud to say that "I'm working toward my RN at Monroe Community College and plan to continue my education further so I can help patients with infectious diseases. Rochester Works! has been a great help getting me into the nursing field."

Today, Dan is a passionate advocate for nursing with one piece of advice for anyone considering a nursing career. "If your heart is in it, you're definitely going to succeed."