Vanessa Hernandez began realizing a dream rooted in her childhood by becoming a certified nursing assistant while still a junior in high school at Riverwood International Charter School.
When Hernandez was growing up, her family only spoke Spanish at home. She would translate written materials and people’s conversations for her mother. During frequent visits to her pediatrician when she was in kindergarten, the language barrier became tougher as her pediatrician was fluent in Chinese and English, but not Spanish.
“I was little and I spoke Spanish and English, and with a strong Spanish accent. So basically, it was hard to also understand her and hard for her to understand me,” Hernandez said.
Her pediatrician explained medical terminology to Hernandez so she could inform her mother.
These experiences helped Hernandez develop her interest in becoming a pediatrician so children wouldn’t have to take on the responsibility she endured.
She plans to open a medical clinic and have Spanish-speaking medical assistants, along with other languages her patients speak.
Hernandez had been exploring becoming a certified nursing assistant (CNA), which is eligible to people 16 years of age, but found it hard to determine which programs were legitimate during her online research.
It wasn’t until her health care teacher at Riverwood Tawana Minter-Cummings guided her to attend the Sandy Springs Education Force’s 2024 High Demand Career Fair, that her dream became a reality. Cummings has taught Hernandez for three years and said she takes her work seriously and is very studious.
“She’s a little gem that I saw in the ninth grade that no one else saw,” Cummings said. “I think that this opportunity has allowed her to kind of blossom and to step outside of her comfort zone. So she’s maturing in so many ways.”
Hernandez met the owner of Love Nursing & Medical Training of Sandy Springs at the Sandy Springs Education Force’s career fair. Hernandez also saw a Riverwood graduate who had previously taken the CNA training helping to man the Love Nursing booth.
Hernandez felt she had to take the opportunity, which would give her a head start in the medical field. It was close to her home, which was necessary as her mother would not be able to drive her to Saturday classes. A scholarship paid for part of her tuition.
Her courses started on Jan. 4, with two weeks of online cases. Then she spent every Saturday through March 1 at Love Nursing for skills training.
Cummings said their plans had been for Vanessa to start her CNA training in twelfth grade. But Vanessa took the initiative with Love Nursing.
Once she earned her CNA certification, she began working at Vernon Springs Senior Living, trading the classroom for the assisted living facility.
“I’m sure as soon as I start working more throughout the summer, I’m going to get paid more. I’m planning on saving it up for future education, because nowadays, college is not cheap,” Hernandez said.
Hernandez said becoming a CNA and working at Vernon Springs has helped her open up to other people, admitting she had been shy and closed off.
Cummings told Rough Draft Atlanta that she saw that change in her student.
Hernandez’s interactions with residents at Vernon Springs reflect this change. For Easter, she bought eggs for an egg hunt, knowing that some residents would be alone that day.
“It was heartwarming seeing all the residents gathering their eggs and being like, ‘Oh my God, there’s one right there,’” Hernandez said.
Hernandez shared her experiences at the recent Sandy Springs Education Force Appreciation Breakfast in April.
Cummings said Career, Tech, Agriculture, and Education (CTAE) is a game changer by giving students real-world experiences and exposure. It allows them to choose or explore a career they might not have known about or thought of before.
Cummings said it’s not unusual for students, after undergoing an X-ray, now wanting to be an X-ray tech, or, after getting an ultrasound, saying they’d like to become a sonographer.
Cummings tells students and their parents to try CTAE classes and take the opportunities as that will open doors in many ways, and not just health care, but also in fields such as computer science, business, audio-video, technology, and film.
Four students who heard Hernandez ’s story are planning to take the CNA course this summer, Cummings said.
“She’s kind of been a game changer as well. She’s opened up a lot of doors for other students as well,” Cummings said of Hernandez.
