Cristina was referred to SkillSource by the Workforce Grants department at Wenatchee Valley College as a dislocated worker. Cristina’s assessments showed solid aptitude scores to support her success in a nursing career. SkillSource helped pay for tuition while leveraging their many workforce development partners to help Cristina succeed.
Employment Security determined that Cristina qualified for a waiver for work search requirement to receive Unemployment Benefits while attending school.
Wenatchee Valley College’s Worker Retraining financial aid covered tuition the first quarter, followed by a SkillSource-provided vocational scholarship for the remaining quarters – including tuition, testing and scrub uniforms.
Cristina was awarded the Nurses for Tomorrow scholarship based on academic performance, leadership, and dedication to the community during the final year of her program. She served as president of her class for the Student Nursing Organization of Washington (S.N.O.W.), an organization that promotes and provides educational opportunities, involvement in the community, interaction amongst students outside the class setting, and leadership role opportunities.
The Wenatchee Valley College Nursing Class of 2020 faced unique challenges when COVID-19 restrictions were put into place during their final quarter, completing laboratory and practical
clinical experience virtually. Cristina received an RN Residency position in the ICU Department of Central Washington Hospital & Clinics. She is excelling as an ICU nurse. Cristina said, “The lift of stress now that I have a reliable income and job security has really improved my quality of life.”
Congratulations Cristina and Confluence Health! We are honored to have helped you start this new career, so that you can help so many others throughout North Central Washington!
