Tessa Horning- Nursing Student

January 2020 – I am a student nurse at Rock Valley College in Rockford, IL and a certified nursing aide. I currently have 3 semesters left until I become an RN!

I did not always want to be a nurse, actually growing up I wanted to be a police officer. When I was 18, my mother received a diagnosis of stage 3 breast cancer, and less than a year later she was gone. I was lucky enough to be able to spend that short time with her and caring for her, alongside her hospice nurses, certified nursing assistants, my father and my aunt. During this time, I had realized nursing was right where I belonged.

I found out about GMRP through Rebecca McAllister, a Nurse Practitioner, who was recruited by one of her graduate students at the time, Brittany Storhoff for the mission. Rebecca didn’t want to go alone last year, so she took me with! I am beyond excited to participate in my second mission this year!