At a young age Nikita Milton was exposed to the world of healthcare and medicine. Milton’s mother had epilepsy and Milton was her caretaker from a young age. As a natural caretaker, she finds purpose and meaning in helping others.

“我一直想成为一名护士，”米尔顿国家。“我一直想帮助别人。这是我早期的激情，就像我记得一样。“

现在，作为一个成年人，米尔顿是两个孩子的一个父母 - 她有一个女儿近十岁，儿子是五个。不幸的是，经过悲惨的事故后，她的儿子在六个月内遭受了创伤性脑损伤，这是由于发展延误。多年来，米尔顿的梦想被搁置在架子上。

米尔顿在寻求成为一个注册护士（RN）时听到Rasmussen学院。她参加了A.护理information sessionto learn more about the College’s专业护理助理学位计划。真正激起了她的兴趣是学院的Flex Choice^®learning options。The learning option allows students to combine traditional online coursework and self-directed assessments, creating a more affordable way for individuals to receive credit for what they already know. As she was already working as a licensed practical nurse (LPN), being able to apply what she already knew to her coursework to more efficiently make her way through the program was a promising opportunity. It would allow her to earn her Associate’s degree without having to spend an abundance of time or money on classes she already had prior knowledge in.

With Flex Choice, Milton was able to start at Rasmussen with a cohort of students who had already been through their prerequisite courses. This isn’t the only way Milton feels the College looks out for its non-traditional college students. Milton mentions the resources of theLibrary and Learning Services通过关键技能建设引导学生，并提供资源，帮助学生学习如何在APA样式中编写，创建语法帐户或注册辅导。她还提到了她从教师和她的顾问那里收到的支持，他似乎似乎了解学生不仅仅是学生，而且是可能是父母，全职专业人士，看护人员等的个人。米尔顿的顾问不断地走到外面。

“My advisor is amazing, she is such a motivator,” she says. “If I want to give up or I’m overwhelmed or a class doesn’t fit with my schedule, she will go that extra mile to try to accommodate my needs, and my fellow classmates’ needs. Everyone speaks so highly of her.”

The community of Rasmussen College is one that Milton is happy to be a part of. Milton is a strong believer in the power of a community, and its ability to lend a hand-up when people need it most.

她对自己的2018年圣诞礼物是开始的一个非营利组织，以女儿为单位命名，Neenah玫瑰项目基金会。非营利组织为风险的少女提供了风险，并协助他们了解他们的选择和控制他们生活中所做的决定的权力。这些决定经常涌入与食物及其健康的关系，他们与浪漫合作伙伴或周围的决定的关系。

米尔顿也很高兴地参与另一个芝加哥区非营利组织，Gyrls in the H.O.O.D., which her best friend started. This nonprofit also works with teenagers in their community to promote healthier reproductive health outcomes and responsible decision making. Milton has been close to this nonprofit since its origin and does a lot of the educational work with the teens. GYRLS in the H.O.O.D. started when Milton and her friend wanted to provide guidance and support to teens in urban Chicago. Milton had to figure a lot out for herself as a teenager. Milton uses the phrase “bumping her head against a wall” to describe her experience of having to learn things that other teenagers where taught from supporting adults in their lives. Her goal, she states, is to limit the amount of times the teens in the program have to bump their heads to figure life out.

“这是一种帮助的激励。我们希望他们能够让他们在他们的生活中有人说我去过那里，这就是我所做的，“米尔顿国家。

Between her work with the Neenah Rose Project Foundation and GYRLS in the H.O.O.D., Milton has contributed to raising funds for the purchase of toys and other needed items, including 100 bicycles, for children whose families may not otherwise be able to afford them. She also focuses her efforts on raising funds for the purpose of sending at-risk youth to Washington, D.C. for educational tours.

Her work with nonprofits, her commitment to education and her dedication to her family, are all part of why she was awarded anAngeline Gale纪念奖学金今年。奖学金的宗旨是帮助妇女由于各种个人情况而延迟教育追求。米尔顿解释说，她向奖学金委员会提交了她的故事，包括她所面临的障碍，以及她现在所涉及的障碍。当她从董事会收到一个电话时，他们想和她见面，她很高兴有机会与他们交谈，并且当她被告知她将获得奖学金时更兴奋。

Milton is grateful for being selected as a recipient of this scholarship and explains how helpful the financial support is to her, especially as she is getting close to the end of her program. Milton anticipates graduating in March 2020 with an Associate of Science in Nursing degree.

She looks forward to fulfilling her goal of completing her schooling and becoming a Registered Nurse. Milton has no doubt that her education from Rasmussen has prepared her to become an RN. She feels Rasmussen has provided her with the tools to sharpen her critical thinking skills and has given her opportunities to practice in clinical settings.

“这是一个惊人的大学，对于单身妈妈或有障碍的人，它不仅迎合了一组，”米尔顿国家。“我相信任何人都可以进入并适合拉斯穆森。”