Faith Ibura Ideki’s journey has taken her tens of thousands of miles, two continents, and almost five years. “Growing up in Nigeria, I dreamed of being a nurse. I majored in Biochemistry in one of the Federal Universities of Technology in Nigeria with plans to join in the nursing program upon graduation. However, my husband’s career took us to Columbia, Missouri, where he accepted a position. That changed everything.”
Faith had the good fortune to land a job at the University of Missouri hospital with duties supporting the nursing care team. "I assisted with everything, including helping doctors, storing supplies, and providing patients with basic medical care." I felt like I was helping people even though I wasn't a nurse.
When her husband was offered a new position in Washington, DC Faith and her family gathered their possessions, packed up, and relocated to Silver Spring, Maryland. "Because of my experience in Missouri, I had a better understanding of how to secure another position in health care," she explained. Unfortunately, despite her significant experience and excellent recommendations from past colleagues, she learned she would need certification if she wanted to be a part of clinical care teams in Maryland. And, as fate would have it, an informal conversation with a neighbor pointed her to an opportunity, putting everything back on track.
"It was just a casual talk, and I mentioned to my friend that I was looking into getting the necessary certification. Here I was unemployed and looking for a way to become a nurse. My friend told me that Montgomery College had a curriculum that was ideal for me, and that the Primary Care Coalition had a tuition assistance program. Well, I applied to the program through PCC and was fortunate enough to be accepted as part of the second set of certified nursing assistant (CNA) students in the program. It was a blessing."
PCC’s Workforce Capacity program, a project of Nexus Montgomery, was created to meet hospital needs for entry-level healthcare workers and to provide career- path employment opportunities for diverse community members. The program is partnering with community organizations for outreach and student support, and scholarships provide community members with certification training at Montgomery College, designed as a first step into a healthcare career.
After graduating from the CNA training program at Montgomery College in early October, Faith accepted an offer from Kensington Senior Living Center. By accepting the scholarship, she is committed to providing care in Montgomery County for a year. As Faith reflects on how far she has come, she says, "I understand that so much of what we achieve is because of the help of others. I wouldn't be where I am now if it hadn't been for the support from my husband and friends, as well as the significant boost provided by PCC. I wish more people knew about it, since I know others are on the same path as me."
"It took me a while,” she says, “but now finally I'm doing what I've always wanted to do: take care of people."
Nexus Montgomery is a partnership of Montgomery County’s six hospitals and was created to improve health care quality and access in the county.
A grant from the U.S. Department of Labor(DOL)’s Employment and Training Administration funds 92.8% ($1.3 million) of the cost to train 200 healthcare workers and increase Montgomery College training capacity between December 2023 and November 2025. Non-governmental funds, including support from Maryland Physicians Care, support 7.2% ($101,615) of these costs. Additional workforce capacity efforts have been supported by WorkSource Montgomery, Maryland Physicians Care, and the Maryland Department of Labor.
Faith had the good fortune to land a job at the University of Missouri hospital with duties supporting the nursing care team. "I assisted with everything, including helping doctors, storing supplies, and providing patients with basic medical care." I felt like I was helping people even though I wasn't a nurse.
When her husband was offered a new position in Washington, DC Faith and her family gathered their possessions, packed up, and relocated to Silver Spring, Maryland. "Because of my experience in Missouri, I had a better understanding of how to secure another position in health care," she explained. Unfortunately, despite her significant experience and excellent recommendations from past colleagues, she learned she would need certification if she wanted to be a part of clinical care teams in Maryland. And, as fate would have it, an informal conversation with a neighbor pointed her to an opportunity, putting everything back on track.
"It was just a casual talk, and I mentioned to my friend that I was looking into getting the necessary certification. Here I was unemployed and looking for a way to become a nurse. My friend told me that Montgomery College had a curriculum that was ideal for me, and that the Primary Care Coalition had a tuition assistance program. Well, I applied to the program through PCC and was fortunate enough to be accepted as part of the second set of certified nursing assistant (CNA) students in the program. It was a blessing."
PCC’s Workforce Capacity program, a project of Nexus Montgomery, was created to meet hospital needs for entry-level healthcare workers and to provide career- path employment opportunities for diverse community members. The program is partnering with community organizations for outreach and student support, and scholarships provide community members with certification training at Montgomery College, designed as a first step into a healthcare career.
After graduating from the CNA training program at Montgomery College in early October, Faith accepted an offer from Kensington Senior Living Center. By accepting the scholarship, she is committed to providing care in Montgomery County for a year. As Faith reflects on how far she has come, she says, "I understand that so much of what we achieve is because of the help of others. I wouldn't be where I am now if it hadn't been for the support from my husband and friends, as well as the significant boost provided by PCC. I wish more people knew about it, since I know others are on the same path as me."
"It took me a while,” she says, “but now finally I'm doing what I've always wanted to do: take care of people."
Nexus Montgomery is a partnership of Montgomery County’s six hospitals and was created to improve health care quality and access in the county.
A grant from the U.S. Department of Labor(DOL)’s Employment and Training Administration funds 92.8% ($1.3 million) of the cost to train 200 healthcare workers and increase Montgomery College training capacity between December 2023 and November 2025. Non-governmental funds, including support from Maryland Physicians Care, support 7.2% ($101,615) of these costs. Additional workforce capacity efforts have been supported by WorkSource Montgomery, Maryland Physicians Care, and the Maryland Department of Labor.
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