EOC Participant Success Story: An Interview with TTC Nursing Student, Nadine Alexandre

Nadine Alexandre came to the Educational Opportunity Center (EOC) at the Trident Technical College (TTC) Thornley Campus (formerly Main Campus) in 2015 seeking assistance with enrolling at TTC and with her FAFSA. She was first assisted by Education Specialist, Shavonne Martinez. Since then, EOC has been there to guide her and answer any questions she may have concerning her financial aid or enrollment.

Nadine is an international student from Haiti and during her time at TTC she has dealt with, not only the stress of being a college student, but also the fact that her family in Haiti were victims of Hurricane Matthew. With the help of friends, TTC faculty and staff and a Go Fund Me page, she was able to fly to Haiti to be with her family while they dealt with the aftermath.

Shavonne Martinez referred Nadine to the Palmer Campus Student Success Center for a work study position. She was hired and worked in the TTC Palmer Campus Admissions office and the Academic Hub. She is currently a work study at the TTC Thornley Campus EOC office. She provides, along with assistance to EOC participants, a friendly smile and consistent professionalism.

I asked Nadine about her experiences.

Question: How it is for you attending TTC as an international student?

Answer:  I first heard about TTC when I was in Haiti.  Even though I didn’t speak English well, I sent my high school diploma to TTC and was accepted.  Before I came to the United States I thought it would be difficult for me to attend because of the language barrier. I took the placement test and I passed so I was able to attend the school. 

In the beginning I was very uncomfortable in the classes because I was unable to express myself when I had questions but so many instructors always tried to understand me and so did the tutors.  The tutors sat down with me and explained to me what I didn’t understand, with patience.  Even though it took so much time, they did work with me.  I was able to pass my first two classes without dropping them.

Question: What was your experience moving to South Carolina from Haiti?

Answer: I came to this country as a visitor and became a resident in 2015.  I was so grateful to come to South Carolina, I wouldn’t have been able to advance in speaking English around other Haitians and only speaking Creole and French.  I have met good people at church, at school and at work.

Question: What obstacles and frustrations have you had to persevered and overcome?

Answer: I am an A, B, C student.  I wish I could be an A student but the language is a barrier.  However, I believe that I can keep pushing.  I get frustrated sometimes when I am studying because the way I interpret the information is not exactly what the instructor is looking for. 

It is also frustrating when I write papers and the instructors do not understand what I am saying in my writing.  I overcome these frustrations and obstacles by asking for help.

What goals have you met and what are your future goals?

Answer: My dream is to become a nurse.  Although it was not easy to get into the program, I studied and worked with a tutor to help prepare me for the National League Nursing Exam for me to be accepted into the nursing program.  Thanks to the tutor, I passed the exam with more than the minimum requirement test score.

Question: Why did you chose nursing?

Answer: I chose nursing, because I love helping others and I always wanted to be a surgeon.  When I was younger I used to pretend to do surgery on my dolls.  When I would go to the doctor, I loved to see the nurses giving shots, even though I am scared of them.  When I was in Haiti, I did not have the opportunity to go to the medical school.  Coming to the United States without family, attending medical school here would be challenging but not impossible. This is the reason I am choosing to be a nurse anesthetist so I can work with the surgeons.  Only God knows what the future can bring.

Question: What are your plans once you graduate?

Answer: My plan is to work as an ICU nurse and earn my Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN).  I want to get some more experience and apply for the nursing anesthetist program and then get my Master’s Degree (MSN) and my doctorate and earn a Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia (DNAP).

The TTC Educational Opportunity Center assists up to 2000 participants like Nadine, annually. It is participants like Nadine that helps us realize how important our work is to the lives of our participants and their families.

We, the EOC staff, wish Nadine the best in her endeavors. We are here to help her though her to attain her goals…and cheer her on as she makes her way.