After more than 10 years as a pharmacy technician, Gaston Mirabal Jr. was inspired to pursue nursing by his friends. 

鈥淭wo years into pharmacy tech, I knew I wanted to be more hands-on with patients,鈥� Gaston said. 鈥淎fter seeing my friends who are in nursing getting to help people more directly, I was encouraged to change my path.鈥� 

A major source of inspiration was his friend Christina. They met while they were pharmacy technicians and reconnected after she began pursuing nursing. Christina provided Gaston with guidance throughout his journey and presented him with his nursing pin after he graduated with his cohort. 

鈥淐hristina has faced a number of health issues throughout the years that I鈥檝e known her,鈥� Gaston said. 鈥淓ven through her hard times, she wanted to be a nurse and help others. Her selflessness inspired me to push through the challenging moments.鈥� 

Being a part of Gaston鈥檚 journey was a big honor for Christina, she said. She was excited to pin him after witnessing his hard work and dedication to achieve his goal. 

鈥淚鈥檝e been through a lot with my health and knowing that he sought me for inspiration and guidance means everything to me,鈥� Christina said. 鈥淚鈥檓 super proud of his tenacity while juggling school and work. I know he will be the best nurse he can be.鈥� 

Taking night and weekend classes, Gaston balanced working full-time with being a nursing student. As a nursing graduate, Gaston said he鈥檚 looking forward to working alongside his friends and towards a future in critical care. 

鈥淭his is a huge accomplishment and thank you to my support group that helped me throughout the years,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 easy, but it was doable.鈥� 

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