Merrimack Grad Finds Passion in Helping Others

Merrimack resident Gina Genet graduated Nashua Community College in 2015 with a degree in Human Services, and recently re-enrolled at NCC to prepare for a future in healthcare.

During her Human Services program, Gina completed internships at the Nashua Soup Kitchen & Shelter’s vocational training department and at Harbor Homes in Nashua. At Harbor Homes, she did fundraising support and work with the organization’s “Veterans First program” that supports homeless vets in a transitional housing unit.

“Helping people has a special place in my heart,” she said. “I used to be a hairdresser, and I loved that aspect of the work; when you help people feel better about themselves.”

Human Services professor Jayne Barnes said, “Gina’s a wonderful example of a lifelong learner whose story would be very encouraging to others.”

Barnes also oversees internships at NCC, “It was a pleasure to watch Gina develop her communication skills in her two internships and then connect what we were studying in classes with what she was experiencing with clients at the agency sites. She is an excellent example of a student who reflects our goal of lifelong learning. I can’t wait to see what her next step will be!”

Gina’s now preparing to apply to a part-time nursing program at Rivier University in fall 2020. She plans to attend night and weekend classes in order to continue working in the Lowell General Emergency Room.

It was her work that inspired her to become a nurse. “I wanted to help, and I started working at the ER - that’s it. I wanted to be a nurse, and I want to combine it with psychology,” she said. Right now, Gina registers patients at the ER.

At NCC, she plans to take several classes over the 2019-2020 school year such as Intro to Chemistry, Human Growth & Development, and Medical Microbiology.

For students considering her path, Gina advises them to be prepared, “Know that’s it’s going to be a lot; you really need to focus, and put school first.”

Gina hails from Merrimack, and graduated from Merrimack High School in 2006.

NCC provides online, weekend, and night classes throughout the fall, spring, and summer. The next term, an 8-week semester, begins Monday, October 21 and ends December 13.

Learn more about course options at Nashua Community College, including health and science classes, by contacting admissions at 603.578.8908 or nashua@ccsnh.edu. Visit the NCC website at nashuacc.edu.

This post is an advertorial piece contributed by a Patch Community Partner, a local sponsor. The views expressed in this post are the author's own.

For more about Community Partner, click here.