LORETTA RICE for it, and you have to keep working now I have gained knowledge and Loretta came into the ADN program as at what you want to achieve and never learned more so that I can know what an LPN. She currently works with In- give up.” to do to help others,” Latasha said. telliChoices, a company that specializes Dolly, Loretta, and Latasha lost their in home health. Previously, Loretta has With her sisters by her side, Loretta says sister to suicide, it’s a hard subject for worked at Home Health, Dignity, and that the three of them would pray to- them to talk about, even to this day. Primary Care. gether before tests, even anointing each other with oil and writing out scripture “It was very hard to go over that subject Like her mother, Loretta started out as with their names on it. in class,” Latasha said. “But it’s some- a CNA. thing that more people need to talk “I have cried many nights…. I wanted about.” “I enjoy encouraging others, and help- this for myself,” Loretta said. “吀栀ank ing them,” Loretta stated. God for partial credit and retests… ev- With one child to care for, Latasha ery test brought us closer to God every knew the road ahead would challeng- Seeking a better future, she applied to day.” ing, saying, the LPN program at Robeson Com- munity College. She graduated in 2019 “You have to believe in yourself, God “I wanted a better life for my son, Pres- with a diploma but felt something was will get you through it.” ton…It has been a journey.” missing. In addition to her sisters, Loretta says Now with another child on the way, and “Our father would encourage us to she couldn’t have gotten to this point now with her degree in her hand, she go back to college,” Loretta said. “He without the support of her other family knows all the hard work was worth it. wanted to see all of us succeed, and my members. mother pushed us to work extra hard so “吀栀is has been awesome…吀栀is was a we would have a better life.” “吀栀e love of my daughter, Aniyah, great experience, I am thankful to be helped me get through the program, here with my sisters, they pushed me So, Loretta decided to go back to along with my future husband, Nicho- more than myself, we did fuss and 昀椀ght school. las, who helped put me through school a little, but that’s to be expected.” twice,” Loretta said. 吀栀roughout the nursing program, Lo- A昀琀er graduation, Latasha hopes to start retta says that RCC instructors pushed LATASHA RICE working in med surge and then eventu- her. Latasha also followed in her mother’s ally make it over to the “Peds” 昀氀oor. footsteps and became a CNA, work- “It wasn’t a pat on the back,” Loretta ing for Scotland Health, Hospice, and “I love children,” said Latasha. said. “Being the way that they are, it was MedAssist. kind of like being in the military, but Latasha credits her family for her suc- going through all of that was worth it.” “I love helping people, caring for peo- cess, saying that her boyfriend Marcus ple,” Latasha stated. “I wanted to be able contributed by helping her with study- “吀栀ere were little things that didn’t to do more.” ing and paying bills. She also thanks make sense to me in the beginning,” Lo- the Lumbee Tribe for their 昀椀nancial retta said. “But they make sense now.” Determined, Latasha set out to make assistance through Vocational Rehabil- a di昀昀erence, with hopes of one day itation. “Our instructors told us to ‘trust the becoming a nurse. process’ and that’s what we all did,” she “I’m very thankful for the Lumbee stated. “吀栀e main goal was focused on “We had a sister that is no longer with Tribe,” she said. the NCLEX and achieving a 100% pass us who died in my arms… it triggered rate… we practice questions every day.” something in me… I felt hopeless but From left to right: Dolly, Loretta, and Latasha Rice stand in front of the Health Science Building at Robeson Community College. As graduation quickly approaches, Loretta says the time spent at Robeson Community College has been worth it. “We wouldn’t be here without God,” Loretta said. “吀栀ere were times when I cried and I didn’t understand why I couldn’t get something, but I kept praying and here we are… I’ve learned that grades don’t de昀椀ne you, tests don’t de昀椀ne you… you have to have a passion 3