Kea Draine

Nursing

After obtaining her bachelor's degree in psychology, Kea Draine still felt like she had a bigger purpose in life. When she started feeling stagnant and unfulfilled, she decided to return to college for a different degree and a fresh start.

"From a very young age I knew that my purpose was to help others," Draine said. "I was extremely passionate about wanting to make sure that everyone else was okay. I wasn't sure though, how I was going to go about doing so, but once I learned more about nursing and what it actually takes to be a Great nurse, I knew this was the career I would be excellent at.

"Nursing was the missing piece of my puzzle."

Draine found returning to college at a non-traditional age to be hard, and she admitted to struggling to balance schoolwork and a full-time job. When she was accepted into the nursing program, she found out she was pregnant, which was one more thing in life she had to balance.

"It was extremely hard and there were days I wanted to give up, but I pushed through," Draine said. "I can say that I am so proud of myself for coming this far. I hope to be an inspiration to the next person."

During her time at Delaware Tech, Draine said she transformed from a shy and closed off person to someone who cannot stop talking or cracking jokes with classmates. She credits getting involved with the Student Nurses Association student club and making friends with other nursing students for helping bring about the positive changes.

"I've completely stepped out of my comfort zone and have been able to try to be more involved and volunteer for new things," she said. "I love to learn new things, but what I enjoy best is being able to share my knowledge so I am always striving to encourage my peers."

Once she graduates from Delaware Tech, Draine hopes to obtain her bachelor's degree in nursing, following by her doctor of nursing practice degree. She would like to become a critical care nurse and a certified registered nurse anesthetist.