Iluminada Chinneth, Bachelor of Science in Nursing, 1993

Iluminada Chinneth, formerly Calicdan, of Seattle, Washington, earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 1993. She shares, “I immigrated to the U.S. at the age of 17, after graduating high school in the Philippines. I attended several community colleges and universities while working several part-time jobs to finance my education, including flipping hamburgers from midnight to 4 a.m., when fast food restaurants stayed open 24/7. There were times when I went from one job to another on the same day when I was not in school. First, I obtained a certificate, then an Associate Degree in Nursing, and worked night shifts so I could go to school during the day in pursuit of a baccalaureate degree. Then Regents College degrees provided a way for me to continue my education on my own pace, through proctored clinical exams and evaluation of previous academic records. It was 13 years from the day I set foot at a community college to the day I received my Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Regents College. Undeterred by hardship and determined to advance in my career, I went on to graduate school and became a nurse practitioner.  At the age of 43 1/2, around the age when most military officers retire, I joined the active-duty Army Nurse Corps and served for 20 years, retiring at the grade of colonel (O-6).”