Mary T. Barbee

I came from a home of a single-parent mother with four kids: three girls and one boy. It was hard. I went to a diploma school before I went into the military. I got married after I got out of the military and used my GI Bill to go back to school. I chose FIU because it was the closest school to me, and it was affordable The schedule was flexible and worked for me. My mother always helped other people in the community. I saw her do it and liked taking care of the sick, so I decided to become a nurse. Mrs. Blackwell was a member of my church and recruited me to the university. She became one of my teachers at FIU. My degree from FIU Nursing got me a better salary and job. It opened doors for me and helped me move forward. I learned to trust God and not people. I'm thankful that I was accepted into FIU Nursing.