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Barbara Moose knows what it’s like. When students in TC3’s rigorous nursing program talk about the challenges of balancing family and school, she understands. When a student is struggling with finances, she can relate. When she tells them that hard work and determination can literally change your life and your family’s future, she is speaking from experience. She has been in their shoes.

After growing up on a small farm, Moose got married and started a family soon after graduating high school. With several children, and finances getting hard, she began to look for work to help support her family. But it wasn’t easy. “I did not have many employable skills and after living in poverty for over 15 years, it was difficult to image how I could afford any further education,” she said. A grant program helped her attend a Certified Nursing �첥��Ƶ (CNA) training program at her local BOCES, and that got her on a path for �첥��Ƶ.

With her CNA training she went to work in a long-term care facility. After a year and a half, she decided that she wanted to be a nurse, so she went back to school and earned her A.A.S. in nursing at Alfred State College. She went to work as a registered nurse in a local hospital, and also at the same BOCES where she started her journey, this time as a co-instructor in their adult CNA program.

After that, she returned to Alfred State, this time working in their nursing program. She returned to school, earning her B.S.N. and M.S.N. online from Regis University, and then relocated to Central New York. She started looking for another teaching position. “I visited TC3 and fell in love with the campus and its beautiful rural setting,” she said. She started at TC3 in 2010, and after ten years teaching in the nursing program, she created a CNA three-week course, which was quickly approved by the New York State Department of Education.

The CAN program has been a huge �첥��Ƶ with a strong passing rate for students who complete the course. It’s a program Moose feels passionate about, and with good reason. For her, the certification as a CNA was a transformative experience. 

“If you are reading this and wondering ‘can I do this?’ I would like to encourage you to believe in yourself,” she said. “Remember, you know more than you think. Take that one small step and, just like me, you will be amazed at where it will take you!”

Barbara Moose, Professor of Nursing
Alfred State College, A.A.S. (Nursing); Regis University, B.S.N., M.S.N. (Nursing)

In her own words
What do you like best about working at TC3?  
Working for TC3 has been a wonderful experience, working alongside of the faculty and staff here. This is a school where you can be yourself and feel supported along your career or educational path. It is true that here, everyone values the student’s �첥��Ƶ and works very hard to achieve that. To me, TC3 just simply feels like home. I really love teaching here, seeing my student’s knowledge grow, knowing I am making a difference in their lives; helping them realize their goals, learning how to care for people who are in need of care. Remembering how I once was in their shoes, I can now guide and encourage them along their educational path. Nursing is a great profession at all levels. When you are tired and head home after your shift, you feel a sense of satisfaction in your job because you have made a difference in the life of someone in need. It is a profound privilege.

How would you describe your best students - what characteristics do they share?
My best students are the ones who are not afraid to ask questions. They give it their all and keep pushing onward to reach their goals even when the road gets tough. They share a hunger for knowledge and seek to get it right.

What have you learned from your students?
I have learned so much over the years from my students. I have learned that everyone has their own story and path to �첥��Ƶ. I value the student’s knowledge and am, at times, challenged by their questions. Sometimes I feel that I learn more from my students than they learn from me.