My mom, April, and I didn’t always expect that our paths would lead us toward the same direction, all the way to Carrington College California’s Stockton Campus. I wasn’t sure that I wanted to continue my education and my mom didn’t necessarily plan to. But because she was my first teacher, my mom wanted to lead by example. So, she did. She set up meetings at local colleges and encouraged me to join her. When we made our way to Carrington, our search for the perfect fit ended and just one week after our initial visit, we enrolled in different programs. Our reasons for entering the healthcare field, though, were the same. We both shared a genuine interest in helping others, which stemmed from caring for our family members. And throughout our Carrington education, we cared for each other. My mom convinced me to cut down hours at my full-time job so that I could focus on working toward earning one that I loved, and our mutual encouragement motivated us to excel. It led to our elect roles as mentors to our classmates and complete confidence in starting our externships. We have five more weeks to go, and are excited and ready to see where our paths may soon diverge. In the meantime, we’ll continue to enjoy our laughter-filled car rides together to and from school. None of this would have been possible without my mom – she is truly a wonderful person. Going to school with my mom was the best experience I have had. I always knew that she would be there for me. Happy Mother’s Day, Mom!