The birth of a son changed a Malta man’s life goals, and Capital Region BOCES has now prepared the 33-year-old for a career helping others.
Dante Pierotti is one of more than 130 adults who will graduate on June 27 from the Capital Region BOCES Adult Practical Nursing program, which he enrolled in after deciding he needed a different career than chef and aspiring restaurant owner.
“Once my son was born, my whole outlook on life changed. I had actually been planning to open a restaurant with my father, but I realized I wanted something different in life,” Pierotti said.
“I had been in the kitchen pretty much my whole life. I started as a line cook and worked my way up to sous chef, but the birth of my son showed me there were other, more important priorities,” he added.
Pierotti chose nursing “because my whole family is pretty much involved in health care.”
The Capital Region BOCES Adult Practical Nursing program prepares students to become licensed practical nurses (LPNs). The program offers full- and part-time students 1,100 hours of classroom and clinical studies and prepares them to take the National Council Licensure Examination and apply to become a New York state LPN.
“With clinical rotations at Ellis, I have gotten a first-hand look at all facets of the hospital. I even did a rotation in the morgue with autopsies and that sparked my interest a little in maybe pathology,” he said.
In the immediate future, Pierotti plans to work as an LPN and then return to school to pursue a registered nurse (RN) certification.
“Capital Region BOCES has put me in the right mindset for success and given me many options,” he said.
Faculty and staff praise his tenacity and work ethic.
“Dante is an incredible student who is driven, intelligent, confident, competent and mature,” said one of his teachers, Katherine Staalesen. “He participates in class and adapts what he has learned into patient situations. He also has a nice rapport with staff, instructors, and peers.”
Health Careers & Services Supervisor Lisa Forshay echoed those sentiments.
“Dante is a conscientious, hard-working student who goes above and beyond to lead by example and learn the proper way of executing nursing tasks. He follows directions and is very dependable,” she said.