A World of Opportunity

I came to MJC by default; I had graduated from high school halfway through my senior year and lived in Brazil as an exchange student for 11 months. When I returned home I began spring 1973 semester at MJC because no other college plans had been made. I was so disheartened as I moved through my first semester classes, thinking only of returning to life in Brazil as soon as I could make enough money to purchase the ticket. A counselor, Charlie, who wore the straw hat, noticed me on campus and I remember visiting him on a few occasions after he approached me one day and wanted to know why I looked so sad. The fact that he noticed me and cared meant the world at that time. I continued taking classes that seemed to touch my heart, eventually choosing sciences and nursing over a Spanish language major. I decided I could be a nurse who spoke Spanish and support myself this way. I earned money by working as a tutor for nursing students in chemistry and anatomy, and with this income and encouragement from my brother, I learned to fly rather than purchase that ticket to Brazil.

After many years of nursing, speaking Spanish and Portuguese to my patients, traveling internationally to speak at conferences, working on mission projects, and completing graduate school, I have the dream profession of teaching nursing students at MJC. I’ve been back to Brazil, and even completed a sabbatical project at the Universidade de Caxias do Sul in my Brazilian home town. At MJC I was able to explore the classes I needed in order to find my area of passion. I received emotional and financial support here, met lifelong friends and continue to make wonderful friends among the faculty and the students. It doesn’t get any better than this!

- Jill Ramsay, Professor of Nursing