Debra Caine

I attribute my success to staying true to my religion, my church, and my mom. Those foundations, along with myself, have helped me to be focused on what I want. Keeping God first and staying connected to my faith and family has been the key to everything I've accomplished.

The best career advice I've received is what I always told my two kids: put God first, and He will do the rest. I believe every child should have a career, and whatever career your heart desires, you should go after it. When you go into your career, whether you want to be a doctor, a lawyer, or whatever you want to be, go in there and have just a little bit of fun with it. It will take you through the challenges and things, but you'll go after your goals and your dreams.

My advice to young women entering this field is to make sure that's what you want to be. Make sure it's the career that you want to pursue. And if you do decide this is for you, just don't stop at the bottom - keep rising to the top. Don't settle for where you start; keep pushing yourself to grow and advance.

The biggest challenge in the medical field right now is that there's not enough nursing - not enough male and female nurses. There's not enough people in the medical field overall, especially nurses. If a young lady is considering this field, nursing is a real opportunity and something to be proud about when you're a nurse, because you're helping the next person and you're helping the person that can't help themselves. It's incredibly important and rewarding work.

The most important values to me in my work and personal life are my family first, and then my career. I love my family, I really do. Regardless of whether it's my daughter, my married son, I'm still in their lives giving them advice, and I'm there for my nieces and my church members too. Family and staying connected to the people I care about is what matters most to me.