For sisters Maggie and Georgia Comstock, graduation this year is more than a ceremony
鈥� it's the celebration of a shared dream realized through very different paths. Both are completing the Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) program and preparing to enter
the next chapter of their careers in healthcare, fueled by personal experiences, hard
work, and a deep desire to care for others.
Maggie, the older of the two, didn鈥檛 head straight into nursing school after graduating
high school. Instead, she worked for a year at a dialysis center to save money for
college. During that time, she found herself drawn to the profession not just by the
clinical work, but by something much deeper. "Working at the dialysis center opened
my eyes to the impact nurses have on patients,鈥� she said. But it was the compassionate
care shown to her best friend during a terminal illness that sealed her decision.
鈥淭hat made me think, 鈥業 want to be that person for someone else.鈥欌��
Georgia, by contrast, made up her mind early. During her sophomore year at Permian
High School, she applied and was accepted into the school鈥檚 dual credit LVN program.
Influenced by Maggie鈥檚 stories and their shared loss, Georgia found additional inspiration
from their grandmother鈥檚 experience in assisted living. 鈥淭hat assured me that I had
made the right decision,鈥� she recalled.
Despite taking different roads, the sisters ended up walking the same pathways in
the LVN program 鈥� and leaning on each other along the way. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been amazing,鈥� Georgia
said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e been able to study together, talk through our clinical experiences, and
just support each other. Not everyone gets that.鈥�
Maggie admits she initially felt disappointed not getting into the Registered Nurse
(RN) program, but now sees the LVN program as a meaningful stepping stone. 鈥淚t has
been a good direction for me,鈥� she said. 鈥淚鈥檒l be better prepared for the RN program,
and I鈥檝e loved the hands-on patient care during clinicals.鈥� She plans to apply to
the RN program immediately after graduation and eventually pursue a Bachelor of Science
in Nursing (BSN) degree.
Georgia also intends to become an RN, but she鈥檒l need to complete about a year鈥檚 worth
of prerequisite courses first. Until then, she鈥檒l continue gaining experience and
building on the strong foundation she鈥檚 already established.
While both sisters are passionate about nursing, they鈥檝e discovered their own specialties.
Maggie is drawn to the fast pace and intensity of emergency medicine and hopes to
work in the ER or ICU. 鈥淚 enjoy the harder cases, and I handle the stress well,鈥� she
said. 鈥淓ventually, I鈥檇 maybe like to go into Forensic Nursing 鈥� I鈥檝e always had an
interest in criminology.鈥�
Georgia鈥檚 calling lies elsewhere. 鈥淢y strength is with children and babies,鈥� she said
with a smile. 鈥淚 want to work in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit or Labor and Delivery.
That鈥檚 where I鈥檝e really excelled in testing and training, and where I feel I belong.鈥�
Both sisters already have healthcare experience under their belts. Maggie has continued
working at the dialysis center throughout school, while Georgia has served as a paid
intern at Midland Memorial Hospital since the end of her junior year. Once they pass
their state licensing exams, both will officially step into the profession they鈥檝e
worked so hard to join 鈥� as licensed vocational nurses.
Their journeys weren鈥檛 identical, but their destination is shared 鈥� and their story
is a powerful testament to perseverance, family, and the many ways to answer the call
to care.