“Getting the CNA certification for me was actually really fun,” said senior Dezirae Rheingans. “I got to meet people from all over Wisconsin.”

Rheingans, who recently earned her clinical nursing certification, is planning on a future in healthcare, which will start for her next semester as an internship through the Personal and Professional Skills Career Program.

She shared that they “got to do a lot of hands-on activities in the lab” during the CNA program, as well as doing their clinicals at Bellin Hospital.

In the future, Rheingans is interested in becoming a labor or delivery nurse or a pediatrician because she loves kids.

Becoming a CNA is a first step to a career in healthcare, as it means getting to work directly with patients and provide support to them and the nurses.

To become a CNA in Wisconsin, the requirements are completing a nurse-aid program and a competency evaluation.

“I plan on doing my PPS internship next semester, and I’m looking at Bellin Hospital,” said Rheingans.

A PPS internship is open to seniors who have completed a year of PPS I as juniors, as well as a semester of PPS II the next year.

Their second semester of senior year they are allowed to leave school early to complete an internship related to the job they’re interested in.

These internships can both get students excited for their future career or make them realize they want to pursue something else, saving them valuable time and money in college.

“Some advice I would give someone thinking about the program is to go into it with a good attitude and don’t be afraid,” said Rheingans. “The people here and there are so nice and helpful it’s hard not to be excited. This is a great program for getting a head start on your future.”