Carmen Taylor-Mason

I grew up in an environment of life-long learners. My great aunt, mother, aunt, and three female cousins all have master degrees in Education. For me, the atmosphere for pursing higher learning had been set for as long as I can remember. However, I knew early on that education alone was not my specialty, simply because I was attracted to healthcare. In college I was introduced to the world of cardiac rehabilitation and liked the two-fold component of exercise and education. I obtained my Master of Science degree in adult physical fitness and cardiac rehabilitation and shortly afterward began my professional career as an exercise physiologist in cardiac rehab. I enjoyed my job to the fullest. However, after a year, the 40 mile one-way commute, the inflexible hours, and the low pay began to strain my family life.  I felt stuck.           

I expressed my frustrations to a co-worker, Jeanne, who worked part-time in cardiac rehab as a nurse and part-time as an instructor at a university. Her ability to have one foot in the clinical environment and another foot in the academic environment enticed me to truly consider a career change. At this point in my life, I desired a career that would compliment my family life. Jeanne thought I would make a good nurse and encouraged me to enroll in nursing school. She also stressed how obtaining a Master of Science in nursing would open up a world of opportunities for me. I eventually quit my job to pursue nursing school. During this time, I found out about University of Illinois’ graduate entry program. This program interested me because I already had a master’s degree and really didn’t want to backtrack in obtaining an Associate or Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing. I applied, was accepted, and here I am today- a nursing student at the University of Illinois at Chicago.           

As a mom of three young children nursing is so appealing because of its substantial availability, flexibility, and financial stability. Nursing school is intense, so it is important to keep the end goal in sight. My goal is to return to cardiac care as an adult nurse practitioner. The scholarship I received from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation New Careers In Nursing program has placed me one step closer to my goal. I was unexpectedly awarded this scholarship, so as a recipient, I felt like this was confirmation that this nursing program is where I am suppose to be in this season of my life. I feel very blessed and am very grateful for the generous support provided by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation NCIN program. My prayer is for the longevity of the program so that it can continue to enrich the lives of many others.