New Bedford Guide Your Guide to New Bedford and South Coast, MA
Meet Kathy Plante, a 57-year-old Registered Nurse of 36 years and Professor at Bristol Community College.
Kathy is not only a full-time faculty member at BCC, she is also a full-time wife, mother, and student at University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, working towards her PhD in Nurse Research.
For Kathy, there was no one moment or experience in her life that made her decide to become a nurse. Innately, she always knew that nursing was her goal. After much hard work and determination, she graduated from the Nursing Program at Bristol Community College—the same program where she educates students, today. Kathy went on to work at St. Luke’s Hospital in the the Labor and Delivery and Maternity departments for 27 years, caring for thousands the citizens from our city and local community.
With a profession that is in such a high demand, Kathy could have gone anywhere for work, but chose New Bedford for so many reasons. With deep Madeiran roots, she loves the Portuguese culture of our city. She and her husband, Steve, volunteer every year at our annual Feast of the Blessed Sacrament. Kathy and her husband also love the atmosphere of the downtown area, frequenting the shops and restaurants that call it home.
Although Kathy has moved on from a life-long dream at St. Luke’s Hospital, she has moved on to another life-long dream in her current position as an Associate Professor of Nursing at BCC. The best part of her job is the students, who come from various backgrounds and age groups. With the course load being so demanding, she is encouraged to see non-traditional college students, some even older than herself, persevere, graduate, and achieve their dreams.
Returning to education for her Bachelors, Masters, and PhD, 27 years after graduating, Kathy is an advocate and “cheerleader” to all returning students, no matter what age they are.
“As a current student, I know what it is like to work full-time while going to school full-time. I know what it’s like to lose my weekends and miss out on family events, but in the end, it will be worth all the hard work and sacrifice.”
Faces of New Bedford is a project by Colton Simmons. If you are interested in booking a shoot or getting prints from the series email all inquiries to colton@coltonsimmons.com
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