Sandra Faye Davis, RN

When I graduated from high school, I was a licensed practical nurse. I wanted to aspire to something higher to learn more. Being the only college graduate in my family at the time, and after working as an LPN for several years, I had a hunger for knowledge. I wanted to become a registered nurse, so I attended the City College of New York. I remember changing my schedule several times so that I could attend during the day. Working nights was difficult, so I changed my class times to the evenings, which worked out better for me. From CCNY, I worked at Mount Sinai Hospital, then I moved to Beth Israel Hospital. Once I got my certification as a psychiatric nurse, my responsibilities grew; I became the charge nurse and it was very interesting. My career was difficult at times, but it was inspiring. I saw patients coming in after not having taken medicine for a while and finally taking medicine and getting back on track. That was rewarding for me. After having worked on a psychiatric unit for about 25 years, I grew to know the patients. They trusted me and I could sometimes engage them in taking their medicine. I value and cherish the time that I attended CCNY because it changed my life, and I would not exchange it for anything in the world.