I’ve always known I wanted to make a difference, but it wasn’t until I was behind a desk in HR that I realized I wasn’t making the kind of impact I truly wanted. That’s when I found nursing. Nursing offers everything I was looking for in a career: a fast-paced, hands-on environment, with constant opportunities to learn and grow, flexibility, and the chance to make a real difference in people’s lives every day. It’s a career that’s never boring, filled with endless paths to specialize and advance, and one that offers real financial stability for me and my family.
I chose Hondros College of Nursing because they made it possible to pursue a new career in nursing. As a direct-entry student in their ADN program, I was able to transition seamlessly into nursing without prior healthcare experience. The program was designed with working professionals in mind, offering me the flexibility I needed to balance full-time employment while pursuing my degree. In just 15 months, I earned my Associate Degree in Nursing while gaining the skills, knowledge, and clinical experience necessary to launch a successful career in nursing. Hondros provided the support, resources, and real-world training I needed to succeed, both in the classroom and beyond.
My advice to anyone considering nursing school is simple: be a sponge. Absorb everything, every lecture, every clinical experience, every bit of guidance from your professors and mentors. Nursing school isn’t something you can coast through. This career demands commitment, curiosity, and resilience. However, if you’re ready to work hard, stay focused, and fully invest in your future, nursing is one of the most rewarding paths you can take.
Jacob Smathers is an alumnus of the Associate Degree in Nursing Program at our Columbus campus. He currently works at Ohio Health in the Cardiovascular Step-Down Unit at Doctors Hospital.