What made you decide on a career in O&P?
Patience Nicholls, CTPO, instructional support technician, O&P Technology program, Spokane Falls Community College (SFCC)
I was 20 when I had decided to enroll for the O&P technology program in my hometown. I had wanted to be a nurse. I had attended school to start pursuing a nursing degree and was working as a certified nursing assistant. It quickly became apparent that traditional learning was a poor fit for me. After leaving college I continued to work as a caregiver. A few months after I had left college, my mom saw a segment on the news about the O&P program at SFCC. She thought it would be a great fit for me since I found value and purpose in helping people. My hand skills were good already and I knew I liked working with tools. Over the years I had worked on construction projects and found I had a knack for learning in an apprenticeship way. I entered the program in 2011, graduated in 2013, and passed the CTPO test in 2014.
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