If you asked Deandra Challgren where she would be in five years, she would not have said becoming a nurse. In fact, for the past few years Challgren spent her time as a corrections facility officer, until she had to assist with a medical emergency that changed everything.

“They said that there was a medical emergency, so when that happens, the nurses get called, and they bring a stretcher, and they run down to where they need to go. Usually, they have an officer to record,” said Challgren.

On that day Challgren followed the nurses to the scene of a fight within the facility.  As she watched the medical team step in to care for those who were injured, something shifted.

“I was just watching them and what they do. I felt like God talked to me and told me that’s going to be you one day, like, you’re going to do that,” Challgren said.

That moment stayed with her. Just a few months later, Challgren enrolled at Galen College of Nursing’s San Antonio campus with a goal to become a nurse, and she did. On April 15, Challgren passed her NCLEX exam and graduated at the end of May.

“I just say, do it. There are people of all ages there [Galen], because I’m pretty young, I’m 23. But I’ve seen people that are 40, 50, 60, so I just think when God tells you the time is right, you should go,” Challgren said.

As for what comes next, Challgren is returning to where her journey first began, the corrections facility.

“It’s my dream, because a lot of people don’t like doing corrections, because they’re scared, but I never felt like that. I just feel like it’s something different. It’s different every day. It’s not like at a hospital where you see the same people, or a nursing home, where you see the same patients over and over. It’s something different,” said Challgren.

Challgren said she hopes her story is a reminder that sometimes the path you’re meant to take finds you when you least expect it.

Deandra followed her calling, and now she’s making a difference where it all began. At Galen College of Nursing, you can take that same step toward a career that truly matters.

Galen offers several pre-licensure programs to help you get started in nursing, including a Practical Nursing (PN/VN) program, an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN), an ADN Bridge option for licensed practical or vocational nurses looking to advance, and a three-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). Take the first step toward your nursing career and apply today!