At 18, Trevor Larsen wasn’t sure what he wanted to do with his life, but he knew he was interested in healthcare. Already a business owner operating his own lawn care service, he understood what hard work was. However, he wasn’t sure what steps to take to get to his ultimate destination as a medical professional. After enrolling in a local college majoring in Biology Premed, he spent a year and a half taking classes and investing a large amount of money before he decided that it wasn’t his path to follow.

After doing some serious soul searching and determining that he still wanted to pursue a career in healthcare, he enrolled at Southeast Tech in the Licensed Practical Nursing (LPN) program. Trevor shares, “I worked with a girl who was going to Southeast Tech and she loved the program. That’s why I looked into it. I’m 100% glad I did, but it wasn’t easy. It was hard work and it took a lot of dedication and commitment to get through.”

After just 11 months, Trevor was finally on his way to realizing his true calling. He graduated from Southeast Tech, passed his nursing boards, and was hired on at Sanford USD Medical Center. “I was really happy with my decision and I was excited because I was finally going to do what I wanted to do. I believe Southeast’s LPN program gives you the knowledge you will use for the rest of your career.”

Today, Trevor is still planning for his future and knows he will achieve his goals. In fact, he already has earned his associate’s RN and isn’t stopping there. “When I graduated, I already had a job lined up at Sanford in pulmonary. I’m also currently taking online courses to get my bachelors’ RN degree and I’m cross-training in the ER. My next goal is to become a Nurse Anesthetist. After STI’s program I’m not scared of anything – I know I can make it.”

Finally where he wants to be, Trevor has no regrets. “This program takes dedication to make it through. Just know it’s hard, it’s not just a walk in the park but it’s so worth it. I love my job because it feels great to affect people with the smallest or largest thing. It’s cool, it really is.”