Student Commencement Speaker Earns Nursing Degree
Although Albert “A.J.” Gall wanted more for himself and his family, he believed college was inaccessible. Through his own determination and because of caring employees at SFSC, the Sebring resident will earn his Associate in Science Degree in Nursing (ADN) during the College’s Commencement ceremony on Thursday, Dec. 15 at 6:45 p.m. at the Alan Jay Wildstein Center for the Performing Arts on the SFSC Highlands Campus. In fact, he will be the graduation keynote speaker.
Shortly after graduation from SFSC, Gall will take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN) and become a Registered Nurse (RN). He plans to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from the College.
But it took Gall seven years after completing high school to apply to SFSC. “I moved out of my parents’ house at the age of 14 and I’ve been on my own since,” he said. “I could have graduated in the 11th grade; I had all my credits. But I attended school during my senior year for P.E. and to hang out with my girlfriend. Upon graduating, I really didn’t have any guidance. I just worked, went home, and I would go to parties, just like any teenager who didn’t have parents. But after a while, I’d see friends and acquaintances going to college or joining the military. I didn’t want to go into the military. My girlfriend was pregnant, so I wasn’t about to dip out on my son. I never had a relationship with my dad, so I wasn’t about to leave my son.”
“I considered college, but I didn’t think I could afford it,” he said. “When I was in high school, no one told me that I could go to college and that financial assistance was available. I thought that to get a scholarship, you have to get straight A’s.”
But Gall had determination and drive. “I felt like my life was at a standstill,” he said. “I needed to do something. I always told myself that it’s OK to figure out what I want to do with my life, but by the time I’m 30, I need to be working toward a career.”
Eventually, Gall took the first step and visited the Welcome Center at the SFSC Highlands Campus in Avon Park to learn how to apply to the College. But he went home feeling overwhelmed and confused. A week later, he returned and spoke with Rob Hampton, director of the Career Development Center, who was previously a student advisor. “I told him that I wanted to go to college,” Gall said. Hampton spent a great deal of time with him, answering all of Gall’s questions with an empathetic ear.
“We talked about the classes I needed to take,” Gall said. “He suggested I not take a heavy load my first few terms because I’d been out of school for a while. He told me about taking placement tests. I sat down at the computer and applied to the College in the Welcome Center. Then Rob walked me over to the Financial Aid Office. They helped me the whole way. So, boom! We got the ball rolling, and college was paid for. I’ve received a scholarship every academic term since then.”
Gall credits Hampton with getting him started at SFSC. “I stay in contact with Rob. I’ve always gone to Rob about scheduling my classes and for any other questions. From my discussions with Rob, I’ve probably helped seven people apply to the College. When talking with friends, I’ve heard them express concerns about getting financial assistance or doubts about their ability to attend college. I tell them, ‘I went through all that. You can’t think too far ahead; otherwise, you’re not going to do it. You’re going to scare yourself away from doing it. You have to take it one brick at a time. Just take it day by day.’”
“A.J. is a perfect example of a student who had a career goal in mind, but needed assistance navigating the pathway to reach it,” Hampton said. “While working two jobs and handling family responsibilities, he did not let it stop him from standing where he is today. If he had questions, he wasn’t afraid to drive up to the College and ask, even if that meant being in the one-hour parking space a little longer. With all of the resources and programs out there to help with applying to college, getting financial aid, and registering for classes, people can find it overwhelming. It’s important that we at SFSC continue to take the time to help educate the community about these opportunities.”
Gall chose nursing as a profession, initially, because he didn’t want to attend college over a long period of time and he wanted to make good money. But deep down in his heart, he knew he wanted a career helping other people.
Another reason that drove him toward nursing was that, over the years, his mother had jobs related to the medical professions. She had been a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), and always talked about becoming a nurse. But it never came to be. “That stuck with me,” Gall said. “Although I didn’t know much about nursing, I began to pursue it. The more classes I took on my path to becoming a nurse, I realized, it’s definitely for me.”
“I had the pleasure to teach and guide A.J. through his third term of the ADN program and part of the second,” said Marlene Cruz, Nursing instructor at SFSC. “He is a charismatic young man who is eager to learn. He is on the right path by the potential demonstrated during his clinical experience. I was pleasantly surprised by the professionalism he showed when working with his patients. I have no doubt that he will be an excellent asset to any hospital. I am very proud of him and wish him the best.”
Beyond his studies as a full-time Nursing student, Gall has other responsibilities. He has two young sons and holds two jobs, one at Olive Garden and another at Outback Steakhouse. But Gall takes it in stride. “The bills are going to come in no matter what,” he said. “Just do the best you can. You can’t try to plan it or map it out. You have to take things one day at a time or things will seem overwhelming.”
Gall will be the first person in his family to earn a college degree. “Through my education, I want to excel in life and get things for my kids that I didn’t have as a child,” he said. “Even when they’re in school, I could be the person that Rob Hampton was for me. I could teach my kids how to apply to college. I would be an advocate for them.”
Gall has a five-year plan. After he graduates from SFSC, he’ll study for the NCLEX-RN, take a vacation, and then apply to the BSN program at SFSC. He’d like to apply to work at AdventHealth Sebring.
“One of my big goals is to travel,” Gall said. “During our nursing clinicals at local hospitals, I had a chance to talk to several travel nurses. Many of the travel nurses I’ve spoken with live in cities like Fort Myers, only two hours away. A lot of them work three days on and four days off. If I were to do that for jobs farther away, I could probably take my family. I have friends who graduated from the Nursing programs at SFSC and are traveling right now. I’ve lived in Florida all my life and will, eventually, want to see other places. What a great way to visit other parts of the country and get paid to do it.”
Gall has advice for others contemplating college. “In my class now, we have students who are over 50 years old,” he said. “Look at them. They’re doing it. For people who’ve been out of school for a long time — just do it. As long as you know you tried your best, you can live with it. But if you don’t try at all, you failed. For high school students who think they don’t have the resources to go to college, ask questions on how to get it done, because there are ways. If you ask questions and still feel lost, ask someone else.”
