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Annika Mahan, 22, knew she wanted to be a nurse from the time she was a little girl. Her grandmother worked in the field, and it seemed a good fit for someone who loved learning new things and meeting new people. After completing a BA in Sociology at Western Carolina University spending time working as a phlebotomist with uninsured Latinx students at the school's clinic, Mahan realized she wanted to work with minority populations. She began shopping around for nursing programs and came across A-B Tech’s, but said she was hesitant to do an associate degree. “I wanted a bachelor’s degree, but I loved ���˲ؾ���so much. I went to the orientation and felt good energy from the people there,” she says.

Mahan enrolled in the program and soon realized she made the right choice. This spring she was honored with an academic achievement award by her department for maintaining at least a 3.0 GPA and for excelling in her studies. And Mahan says she thoroughly enjoyed her time in the program.

“Every instructor I had loves nursing and they connect well with students who share their passion,” she says. “They get so excited about patients with you.”

Mahan worked in Mission’s cardiovascular intensive care unit for her practicum and realized she thrives in a high turnover environment where she gets to meet lots of new people.

“I have a way of relating to people,” she says. “They’re in a vulnerable place and it’s more important how you say something than what you say. You could be telling them bad news, but if you talk slowly and gently and look them in the eye and hold their hand, you can say almost anything and people will stay calm.”

Recently, Mahan says, she took care of a patient who was a retired nurse. It was intimidating to care for someone who’d worked in the field, but Mahan connected well with her and made an impact. “She said the sweetest things to me,” she says. “She told me I was going to be compassionate and amazing. She made me feel good about the quality of care I gave.”

Mahan is excited to start her new job at Mission Hospital as an ER nurse in July. In the future, she hopes to go on to become a flight nurse and work with critically ill patients.

“You have a lot of independence in the helicopter,” she says. “You’re the only one with the patient, giving meds, adjusting treatments. Nothing else matters. You’re also thousands of feet up in the air. I think that is so cool.”