Student Spotlight: Kimberly Amazan

Kimberly Amazan has participated in 1199SEIU Child Care Funds (CCF) youth programs for most of her life, with memorable experiences in the Summer Day Camp and Holiday Sleep-Away programs. But her two years in the WorkForce 2000 Program have been the most impactful by helping her to explore areas of study that interested her, to gain work experience and to bolster her desire for a career in nursing. “I wasn’t sure what I wanted to study,” Kimberly said, “but the program helped me zone in on nursing.”

Now a junior at the New York Institute of Technology, Kimberly continues to tap into her lifelong interest in science as a nursing major, taking courses like pharmacology. “When you’re a kid, you just take medicine because your parents or a doctor tells you to,” she said. “Now I get to learn how everything works, and that’s exciting!”

With a busy schedule and a full course load, Kimberly is grateful for the support that the Joseph Tauber Scholarship Program’s Next Generation RN award affords her. With the “extra boost” it has given her, she has had more time to focus on her schoolwork without having to worry about her ability to purchase books and other necessities. Following graduation, Kimberly plans to continue pursuing her nursing career by taking the certification exam, and hopes to work in the New York City metropolitan area.

Kimberly’s mother, Enone Amazan, a Registered Nurse at the Schulman and Schachne Institute for Nursing and Rehabilitation and an 18-year 1199SEIU member, is thankful for all of the CCF benefits and programs her four children have taken advantage of to help them reach their academic and professional goals. “The Child Care Fund invests in children’s success from an early age,” said Enone. “These programs have encouraged each of my children to value learning and have helped them become the strong-minded individuals they are today.”