Sheena, 35

“I never planned on becoming a CNA. In the high school where I’m from, you can take vo-tech [vocational-technical] classes if you don’t want to do Algebra 2 and I’m horrible at Algebra 2, so I took the CNA class and we did a whole year of phlebotomy, medical terminology, and all that. A couple of years later, after I had my daughter, it was time to get a job. The lady who was teaching me worked as a DON where I work now and she hired me. I’ve been in that same place for 15 years.”

If could do anything else, what would you do? “People come to me and ask me why I don’t become a med aide or a nurse. I’ve thought about it, but I like the more one-on-one with residents, and I don’t think I can do anything else. I think this is my calling.”