By Lorita Nearing, SKC HSE Student
Photo taken by my husband, Jeff, in the Kicking Horse area of the Flathead Indian Reservation, February of 2023.
My name is Lorita Nearing. I am enrolled in the Navajo Nation but have lived on the Flathead reservation since I was nine years old. I went to Ronan Middle School and Ronan High School till 10th grade when I was forced to drop out by a family member. From there on I tried to go back to school. I attended Two Eagle River School for several months, but once again was forced to dropout and was told “No” by family & relationship.
Over the course of eight years, I’ve made many attempts to work on my high school equivalency test (HiSET). Since December 2023, I’ve buckled down and worked on it through Salish Kootenai College’s (SKC) HiSET Program, despite the failed tests of times past. I pushed through many failures. My husband and kids kept telling me, “Don’t give up, you got this.” So, finally on October 12, 2024, I successfully attained my HiSET diploma. The feeling for me was overwhelming, because I finally accomplished what I first attempted many years ago. It made me feel amazing.
Since November 2024, my family has been asking what’s next on my journey. I’ve always wanted to be a nurse. However, through being a certified nursing assistant for six years, with four children, I know firsthand that I need something more flexible. So, I researched many colleges and universities to finally find Bryan University in Tempe, Arizona. I’ve started full time classes online for an undergraduate certificate in medical and billing coding. I will be getting my associate degree in health information management.
This high school equivalency education journey has been very successful and important in my life and career. SKC and the College Fund provided for my tests, courses, gas vouchers, and gift cards that eased the burden and helped me to NEVER GIVE UP!
