Native Californian, Jovan Romero, has been exploring career options since he graduated high school in 2012—all centered around helping others.
He first worked at a veterinarian hospital. At age 20, he started working as an ABA (applied behavioral analysis) therapist for children with autism.
"I fell in love with that and it made me realize how much I enjoy working with kids," Jovan says. "I saw how rewarding it was."
All his experiences eventually melded to point him toward nursing. "I've always enjoyed taking care of people and nursing feels like the right fit," he says.
Daunted by the long waiting period to get into nursing programs in California, he looked to the Midwest. On his quest to become a nurse, Jovan discovered Goldfarb School of Nursing at Barnes-Jewish College in St. Louis.
Jovan’s challenge was figuring out how to pay for his education with private loans after already taking out federal student loans
Just in time, Jovan got a call that he had received a full-ride scholarship to Goldfarb from BJC HealthCare. With his passion for working with kids, he plans to work at St. Louis Children's Hospital when he graduates. Jovan is also the first member of his family to go to college.
"The full-ride scholarship is awesome," he says. "I was stressed about how I was going to pay for nursing school so I really appreciate this scholarship."