Ignite bursary helps make nursing career a reality

She dreams of becoming an anesthesia nurse and, thanks to an Ignite Bursary from Assiniboine, she is on the path toward accomplishing that goal.

Tynamarie Wheeler is a born-and-raised Winnipegger who is currently a student in the Practical Nursing program at Assiniboine’s Brandon campus. Prior to that, “I was a slating clerk at the Pan Am clinic,” she says. “I started in the walk-in, and then I moved my way to surgery about a year and a half in.”

After three years at that job, she felt that she wanted to go further in health care. “I liked my job slating,” she says, but adds that “It was just really repetitive and I didn’t feel I was at my full potential.”

Asked why she chose to pursue a career in nursing, Tynamarie says that “I like helping people, and making people feel better. With nursing, I just feel like it opens a lot of doors career-wise. There’s a lot of opportunity, either with travel nursing or bridging to the RN program or you can even upgrade you education to be a nurse practitioner. . .I thought that it would be a good career move for me.”

The 34 year-old began the program in January and says “I like it so far. It is quite accelerated. This week was the first tough week of school.” She laughs as she says that “It wasn’t too bad, but I thought I had good time management, but this course is teaching me that I have to step it up a little bit.”

She says that $2,000 Ignite Bursary she has received has helped reduce her expenses, enabling her to focus on her course work. The bursary is designed to support Black Canadian students with a demonstrated financial need. It is a key component of the college's commitment to foster diversity and inclusion, recognize the importance of Black History Month, and support Manitoba’s growing Black population.

Regarding her experience so far in the classroom, Tynamarie says that “It’s been a good transition. . .I’m about ten years older than everyone in my class, but I’m slowly making friends and I feel really comfortable at Assiniboine.”

As a Black student new to Brandon, she says “It’s been a really good experience at Assiniboine College. I feel like the college is very diverse and multicultural, so its not like a big issue. And its kind of nice to see other black students.

Looking to the future, she says she will complete the Practical Nursing program “and then I’m going to work for a little bit. I believe I need 2,000 hours, and then the plan is to bridge to the RN Program. And then, hopefully one day, I would like to be an anesthesia assistant, or an anesthesia nurse.”

Asked where she would like to work after graduation, she says “I would like to do OR, surgery, emergency or ICU, depending on where I can get a job. My first preference is to stay in Manitoba right now.”

Asked for any advice she would give to older students who are considering the Practical Nursing program at Assiniboine, Tynamarie says “Do it. It’s never too late to upgrade your education. . .I bring my own life experience to the program, and you can relate more. You’re more serious about your intentions toward school, too, so you are going to work hard.”

Regarding her experience as a new student at Assiniboine, she says “It’s a great school. I feel very comfortable. I feel like everyone is very welcoming. I also feel like Brandon is a small city that has everything that you need. It has everything to offer.”

“I think students are lucky to come to Assiniboine if they can.”