Today we’d like to introduce you to Kai Paul.
Hi Kai, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I began my journey in nursing as a second career in 2012. A friend actually loaned me $50 to submit my nursing school application because times were very hard for me back then. I was a single mother with two children and a bachelor’s degree in psychology that I had no idea what to do with it, and struggling looking for a job. I have always had a strong desire to care for others. My Mom always tells a story from when I was a little girl, and my puppy (Mickey) was very ill we took him to the veterinarian, and they told us that there was nothing they could do for Mickey and he would soon die. But the eager caregiver that I was, even as a very young girl, made a special medication out of lemon-lime Gatorade and pepto bismol and I nursed Mickey back to full health. So, I guess it’s safe to say that’s where it all began.
My children have always been my motivation to be the best version of me that I could possibly be. I have always used them as my driving force to keep pushing forward no matter how hard things became. I was finally accepted into nursing school the fall of 2012. I had no idea how I was going to do this with two kids no job and no idea how I would pay my tuition. I put one foot in front of the other and I prayed so hard for God to make a way for me and that’s exactly what he did. I started a new job as a travel counselor the same month I started nursing school, and I would go to school during the day and work from 5 pm t0 1:30 am five days a week.
As time went by, I looked up, and it was graduation time. I couldn’t that two years had gone by so fast and that I actually made it. But I spared no time walking into my next journey after graduation in December 2014 I began classes at U of M for my BSN in January 2015. In my eyes, there was no stopping or turning back. I finished my BSN in January of 2016 taking on a full-time schedule will working in the ICU as a brand-new nurse. And then, my education took another turn. I was eager to push to the top, I was accepting into a Nurse Anesthetist program four months after having my third child in 2017.
Today I can proudly say that everything I endured from 2012 until now has been extremely worth it. I recently graduated with my Master’s degree as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner in May of this year. And will be graduating spring 2023 with my Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree. As I was pursuing my graduate degree, I was in the works of opening First Step Career Center, LLC, which is a healthcare training center located in Southfield, MI.
It was God’s grace that carried me through.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Sheesh. Certainly, wasn’t a smooth road. I was going through it right at the time I made the decision to become a nurse. I had two children and was a single Mom, I didn’t have a job, and I didn’t have my own car at the time. I was catching it from every way possible. A special friend to me at that time loaned me his 1996 Chevy impala to drive so that I could make it to school and work. I still laugh at that this day because I couldn’t believe that he let me drive one of his prized possessions (LOL). I would park so far away from the other cars to make sure absolutely nothing happened to that car (LOL). I was extremely grateful for his kindness because he was always there for me during those very difficult times in my life. My Mom also filled in the gaps for me by always being hands-on with my children and allowing them to stay with her while I was at work and school. I wouldn’t be where I am today without the help of my mother.
I had to make some tough decisions back then. I had finally got my credit together in 2013 to purchase a car to turn around a year later and have to voluntarily surrender the vehicle because I just couldn’t afford it. I was trying my best to keep my kids in a place of our own and continue to pay for school out of my pocket, so eventually, I had to move back in with my mom with no car (again) and two kids. So, I was back driving the impala and sleeping on my mother’s couch.
I was so ashamed of myself; I was very depressed, and I cried all the time. I would hide from my kids so they wouldn’t see me cry. I felt like my life was falling apart right before my eyes. I thought about giving up every day. I wanted to drop out of school because it was so hard, and life was having its way with me. Times were so rough I would share lunch with my nursing school bestie because we sometimes didn’t have enough money or any money to buy food. I remember one day I was so hungry I had no money, and of all days, it was a test day, and I was a nervous wreck. My cardiac teacher gave me his sandwich out of his lunch for me to eat that day.
Lastly, in December of 2019, I suffered a horrible injury to my right hand where it was nearly severed. Leaving it contracted, with nerve damage, loss of sensation, and chronic pain not only in the hand but the entire arm. I thought my career as a nurse was over. This was a very difficult time for me, and I didn’t think I could ever experience depression the way I did after this horrible injury. I am grateful for the mobility I have in my right hand today; every day is struggle, but I know I will make it through this.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
First Step Career Center, LLC is a healthcare training center that I started in 2019. It wasn’t until 2021 that I was able to fully get this project off the ground. This was my very first entrepreneur endeavor, and it was very up and down. But with perseverance and understanding that this certainly isn’t a linear process everything came together, and we were granted our approval as a proprietary school in Michigan.
We train and prepare students to take their state examination to become Certified Nursing Assistants and Phlebotomist. We offer TB testing, CPR Training, and we are adding on a two new courses this fall. What sets us apart from others would be that not only do we train our students for their profession, we embrace them and welcome them into our First Step Family to continue to be a resource for them throughout their entire careers.
I am most proud of the brand that I am creating because it gives men and women an opportunity to take the First Step towards a better life and career. I know firsthand the struggles of going from job to job and living paycheck to paycheck. So, First Step is rooted in helping our students to be successful in life and their careers.
I would like for your readers to know that we offer entry-level healthcare training courses in the Metro Detroit area, and they can learn more about the courses we offer by visiting our website at www.firststepcareercenter.com or by stopping in during our regular business hours for a tour and to have any questions answered that they may have. We welcome them with open arms and hope to be a part of their professional legacy,
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
I think he next 5-10 years I see First Step Career Center, LLC as a fully recognized healthcare institution offering the Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) program and the Registered Nurse program along with a full catalog of additional course offerings. The goal for First Step Career Center, LLC is to become a highly recognized institution with a full spectrum of healthcare training programs. Healthcare is a constant growing field that will always have a need, and we want to contribute quality students and professionals into the industry.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.firststepcareercenter.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/firststepcareercenter
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/firststepcareercenter
