By: Trenton Denton
Hello! My name is Trenton Denton. Over the past two years, I have taken the steps to make a pivot in my career. I am sure that I am one of the older interns here. I worked in the healthcare field for a total of 13 years. 4 years as a nurse’s aide and 9 years as a nurse. During the beginning of the Pandemic, I was placed in charge of a COVID-19 unit. I had a self-realization that life is short and that I needed to reach for the goals I had set for myself. I sought help for problems I had encountered throughout my history of trying to complete a degree program and was diagnosed with ADHD & Autism. Many people may view this as a terrible thing but in fact, it was quite the opposite. It allowed me to find the right medications, make the appropriate adjustments to my environment and allowed me to see that there are ways to thrive in a neurotypical world. Once confident in my abilities to manage my education I enrolled in a Bachelor’s in Computer Information Systems program through DeVry University. I stepped out of my role as a nurse in June of 2021. I focused full-time on coursework and certifications. I completed a Full Stack Development Certification through the Rural & Remote Program (through Bottega University). I completed a Data Analysis Certification through a Google Course. I completed a Programming Essentials Certificate through DeVry University. PCEP Certification through the Python Institute. Finally, at the end of April 2022, I will complete my associate degree through DeVry University. I am still enrolled full-time through my bachelor’s degree and have goals to complete my masters. When I had finished the certification programs and had free time again, I began a job search. I was consistently told I had either too much experience and would find the job “boring” or that I didn’t have enough experience in the field I wanted to work in. I was offered an internship through Bottega University to work as a mentor (teaching assistant) for students taking the certification programs that I had worked through. I reached out to my Rural & Remote mentor and was informed of the Ogallala Commons group, its mission, and what it does for many students. I look forward to updating you all on my journey as I work through my internship. I have already reached out to a few organizations to schedule my community service hours.
