If you’re passionate about what you do, it’s never truly a ‘job’

In the fullness of my 67 years, I’ve learned that nothing is more important than the care that all of us as human beings provide to one another. I’ve also learned that life is too short to sit around when we could be pursuing our dreams.

So I feel a deep satisfaction these days when I go to work as a Certified Nursing Assistant. I provide important care to others, a lifetime dream that once felt as if it was out of reach.

I retired from the Air Force 30 years ago after serving more than two decades as an aircraft mechanic and flight engineer. I planned to work as a Certified Nursing Assistant after my retirement from the military, but I was called instead to care for sick family members.

The dream of providing care to others, however, never went away. Last year, I heard about Project SANDI — Supporting and Advancing Nevada’s Dislocated Individuals — a grant-funded program created by the Governor’s Office of Workforce Innovation. Because I already held a post-secondary degree, Project SANDI was able to provide me with the training I needed for my new career in only 10 weeks.

During the time that I completed my training and stepped forward to help meet the big need in Nevada for trained health care workers, I was impressed as I learned more about Project SANDI. I saw how it’s using remote learning to train workers for in-demand occupations such as information technology, logistics and manufacturing. I learned that Project SANDI brings together partners from the public and private sectors to teach new job skills and improve the existing skills of people across Nevada.

I was particularly happy to learn that Project SANDI has helped a number of fellow veterans develop the new skills that are bringing them rewarding and fulfilling second careers all through grant funded programs in which they applied for.

Even though many of my friends these days are retiring from a lifetime of work, I have gotten a fresh burst of energy. I am excited to start every day, and I am filled with passion to provide professional health care for my neighbors here in Southern Nevada.

And I have a secret to share with all those folks who are wondering if they should pursue the training they need to start a new career: If you have a passion for what you’re doing, it’s not really a job. There are plenty of opportunities out there to find a newfound passion, and Project SANDI is the gateway to pursuing it.