What is Ulster BOCES?
Annajane and Jamie Rodriguez

Ulster BOCES means different things to different people. For Annajane and Jamie Rodriguez, Ulster BOCES means the chance to fulfill a lifelong dream of working in the healthcare field and creating an economically stable life for themselves and their family.

For years, Annajane Rodriguez had envisioned a career working as a nurse. “To me, helping people is what it is all about,” says Annajane. To attain this goal, she enrolled at SUNY Ulster in 1990 and started the nursing program there. However, the responsibilities of motherhood (her son was a one-year-old and her daughter a three-year-old) kept her from fully applying herself to her studies.

At the same time, her husband, Jamie, was working at Imperial Schrade in Ellenville, a knife factory job that required long, labor-intensive hours. Jamie, too, wanted to become a licensed nurse. He also attempted to complete nursing coursework at a community college, but found himself falling asleep on the job when he tried to attend school during the day and work an overnight shift at the factory. The pressures of work and attending nursing courses designed for full-time students proved to be an insurmountable challenge for him. As a result, training as a nurse was set aside as both Annajane and Jamie raised their family and dealt with the day-to-day rigors of life.

In 2005, Annajane’s father was diagnosed with cancer. Three days before he passed away, he asked Annajane to promise that she would complete her nursing degree. “That was it,” Annajane recalls. “I knew then and there that I would complete my degree—for my father and for myself.”

For Jamie, the turning point came after an accident at Imperial Schrade. After being seriously injured when his hand was caught in a factory buffing machine, Jamie knew he wanted to give up life on the assembly line. “I knew I couldn’t do factory work anymore,” he recalls. Jamie then began working as a mental health technician at Bendectine Hospital. Though he enjoyed his work, not being certified as a nurse limited the scope and capacity of Jamie’s ability to serve his patients.

Annajane was also working in the healthcare field as a switchboard operator at the Ellenville Regional Hospital. She enjoyed working at the hospital, but she really wanted to keep her promise to become a nurse so she could work directly with patients and make a difference in their lives.

From the stress and strains in their lives, the Rodriguezes were separated after 18 years of marriage. While trying to work out their relationship, Annajane and Jamie decided in 2005 to enroll in the Practical Nursing (PN) program at the Adult Career Education Center, a division of Ulster BOCES.

“From the start, the Ulster BOCES Practical Nursing program was a great fit for an adult student like me,” says Annajane. Since classes were held at night, she was able to maintain her day job while pursuing her dream of becoming a nurse. Caring instructors who took their time with difficult subjects challenged Annajane to do her best. “They were the keys to my success. The instructors were all great and I learned so much from them,” Annajane says sincerely. “I can’t boast enough about them.”

“For me, it was almost impossible to work and go to school,” says Jamie. The fact that the Ulster BOCES PN program was a one-year commitment helped to motivate Jamie. Due to the relatively short timeframe, that meant graduation was clearly in sight! Jamie was able to continue working full-time as a mental health technician at Benedictine Hospital. He was also encouraged by the supportive instructors and the adult working environment. “Ulster BOCES gave me the chance to succeed. Clinicals were intense, but it was all worth it!”

While completing their 1,200 hours of clinical and classroom training, the Rodriguezes studied together and supported each other—inside and outside the classroom. By their June 2006 graduation, they had decided to reunite and again live together as husband and wife. The candelight ceremony was especially meaningful for the Rodriguez couple as they looked forward to a new start in their careers, and their marriage!

Today, the couple keeps on pursuing higher education as they are currently studying to become Registered Nurses, thanks to a solid foundation from Ulster BOCES. Working with patients has proved rewarding—for both parties. “Annajane is a wonderful nurse,” comments Kathleen Doellmann, one of the patients currently under Annajane’s care at Ellenville Regional Hospital.

For Jamie, being licensed as a nurse allows him to become an advocate for his patients. He explains, “By working more closely with patients, I have a better understanding of the day-to-day cycle of their mental health issues.”

“Ulster BOCES played an important role in helping us succeed,” says Annajane.