Jasmine Thornton
Comer Children's Hospital
Chicago, IL USA
"Listen to your heart. Do not be afraid to switch careers at any time during your journey. There’s never a clear path in the journey of life."
Career Roadmap
Jasmine's work combines: Medicine, Science, and Helping People
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
Don't put too much pressure on yourself to choose one path and stick to it. It's okay to make mistakes or change your mind. Try something out that you think you might be interested in. Once you start exploring that interest, you'll be able to tell if it feels right or not. If it feels right, then go for it. But if it doesn't, know that it's okay to say no and try something else. I also suggest finding a mentor to help guide you or finding an internship in your field to gain insight.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Associate's Degree
Science
Moraine Valley Community College
Associate's Degree
Respiratory Care Therapy/Therapist
Moraine Valley Community College
Life & Career Milestones
I've taken a lot of twists and turns
1.
Both my mother and grandmother are nurses, so nursing has always been on my mind for my own career path.
2.
I initially went away to college as a pre-nursing major, but didn’t feel like the school was right for me, so I transferred into the nursing program at a community college back home.
3.
That nursing program wasn’t a great fit either, so I decided to complete my associate’s degree in science instead, and became a preschool teacher.
4.
I loved being a preschool teacher, but I knew that I ultimately wanted to go back into healthcare, so I went back to the community college to take some more classes.
5.
After researching potential careers through a career development course and finding an interest in chemistry, I started thinking I’d like to work in cardiovascular perfusion.
6.
I discovered that working in perfusion requires you to either be a nurse or a respiratory therapist—I already knew nursing was not for me, so I applied to a respiratory therapist program at my school.
7.
While in school, I got an internship at Comer Children’s Hospital, which really helped me gain insight into what I’d be doing once I graduate.
8.
I now work as a respiratory therapist at Comer Children’s Hospital.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Family:
You need to become a nurse.
How I responded:
My mother and grandmother are nurses. They influenced my cousins to become nurses. They tried to influence me too. I thought nursing was the only path for me. I went to school for nursing and realized that it was not a good fit at all. Once I started doing my own career research and taking personality tests to learn about my interests, I discovered a path that was more ideal for me. I encourage others to do the same. Listen to your gut and do what's right for you, regardless of what others say.