An adult immigrant from Africa is finding his future brighter thanks to Capital Region BOCES.
Fred Gyamfi emigrated to the United States from Ghana in 2010 with a goal of becoming a physician. However, those plans got delayed and the Latham man is now pursuing a different path into health care through the Adult Practical Nursing program.
“When I first got here, I wanted to be a doctor, but I didn’t have the support I felt I needed,” he said. “But now is the right time for me. I want to help people, make them better.”
Gyamfi currently works for GE Healthcare using the associates in engineering degree he received at Hudson Valley Community College to assemble medical machinery. Still, the desire he had to help others more than a decade ago persists.
“I want to work with patients, make their care my priority,” he said. “Eventually, I want to be a registered nurse.”
As he approaches his June 27 graduation ceremony Gyamfi said he knows choosing Capital Region BOCES as a pathway into the world of healthcare was the right decision for him.
“I like this program a lot. The instructors care for and want you to succeed,” he said.
Gyamfi is one of about 130 adults in the full- and part-time Adult Practical Nursing program scheduled to graduate this month. Launched in September, the program prepares students to become licensed practical nurses (LPN).
The New York state-approved APN program encompasses 1,100 hours of classroom and clinical study.