Tammy Daily

CNA / Boston Medical Center / Boston, MA

“My journey to get an education has been about my children,” says Tammy Daily, a
CNA II at Boston Medical Center. “I went back to get my high school diploma through the union-sponsored classes, and then decided I was just going to do it! I set my goal to become a registered nurse.”

After achieving her first goal to get a high school diploma, Tammy worked hard and, with support from the Training Fund, recently completed all of the pre-requisites for the registered nurse program at Roxbury Community College.

“It’s not easy. I’ve tried to stay focused, but time management is always a challenge. You have to make time for all three parts of your life: work, home and family, and studying. But, I can’t stop because I know that my kids are watching me. Seeing me do it has encouraged them to stay in school.

I’ve tried to teach them that you can do anything you want-you just have to shoot for the stars.”

Despite the challenges, there have been rewards through the process for Tammy. One of those came when she made the dean’s list-for a semester in which she took three classes and suffered a terrible personal tragedy. “When I saw my name on the dean’s list that they post at school, I thought I was going to stop breathing! It made me realize that you can’t put limitations on yourself. You’ve got to stop listening to the negative stuff that you get in life. There is something great inside everyone.”

 As she gets ready to apply to the R.N. program, Tammy recognizes ‘the importance of having people in your corner.’ “I’ve have been so fortunate. I feel like there have been so many people in my corner, from the union to the Training Fund to a lot of wonderful people at Roxbury Community College and the nurses in the SICU. Each step of the way they’ve all encouraged me.”

“I love the work I do at the hospital. Working with patients is so important. I know that when I finish my nursing degree, I’ll be able to make an even bigger difference in people’s lives.”