Katrina King

I think it all goes back to my childhood. I did not grow up in a good home, and I got bounced around from one home to another home. I applied to a CT program when I was a kid and got in, and then one of the young ladies that I made friends with, her mom took me in so I could go to the school and graduate. I think that was the biggest thing - I knew that in order to break a cycle, I had to get an education. That was the only way out, because I did not have what everybody else had. I think that always drove me to understand and appreciate how much an education is important to become the person you want to become, because you don't have to be the person you are because of your environmental factors. You can change, and you can become something very, very different. You don't have to be a product of that environment. As I went to school and became an LPN, then worked for 4 years while earning my RN with my bachelor's, that changed my life because I had those teachers pour into me and tell me I could do it and I was worth something. I always knew that one day I would pay it back. Once I had my nursing career and could do all these wonderful things, I would go back somehow and work and pour into young girls. That has been my drive ever since. I got my master's degree, I've been a director of nursing, I've traveled the United States with Prudential setting up HMOs - I've got to do some wonderful things, all because I went to school. And it's because someone told me I could do it. I need to pay back, and I think when God gives you those gifts, He expects you to use them for other things. That's what drives me.

The best career advice I ever received came from teachers who believed in me, encouraged me to pursue education, and showed me that learning could open doors to opportunities I never thought possible.

I would definitely tell them they need to take these types of classes, because it gives you the opportunity to see if you're really cut out for this. Because what looks glamorous on TV, you need to see, do I see myself doing that all day? Can I do that? Do I have the empathy, and can I do those skills, and can I handle the 12-hour shifts? I think this really gives them that opportunity to gain confidence. I really feel like these young girls, depending on what region you're from, they don't have confidence in their ability, or they've never been encouraged that you can go to school, you can be successful. I feel like that's why I'm here - to really help build that, and that they can build and have both, that you can have a family, you can be a mom if you want, and you can also have a career. I think that's so important, especially where we're at, where we have a huge Hispanic population, where these are first-generation girls that are getting educated and encouraged to go to college. They need to feel like they can have both and they can be successful. I truly believe that they don't have to be a doc to be successful. You get your hands on, and there's nurse practitioners, there's physician's assistants, there's all these things that aren't going to cost you a million dollars. People feel like, well, I don't come from a wealthy family. Well, you don't have to come from a wealthy family to go to school and become an RN and things like that. There are the local colleges and stuff that you can get an AA degree and start working, and then pay for your other advanced degrees. I think that they need to hear all that, and someone's got to be telling them. I don't feel like the counselors have enough training to give medical advice at all, and they need people like them in the classrooms, telling them they can do it.

One of the biggest challenges in healthcare education right now is the ongoing shortage of nurses and doctors, combined with the fact that many schools still lack strong CTE programs or counselors who understand medical career pathways. At the same time, there is a huge opportunity to build high-school-level healthcare pipelines that allow students to graduate with certifications, hands-on experience, and a direct path into the workforce or higher education.

The values that matter most to me are education, mentorship, service to students and the community, and paying it forward by helping others grow and succeed. My faith also plays a central role in both my personal life and the way I approach supporting and encouraging others.