Cypress Hills
What an inspiration
Borough daughter Joanne Sylvestre never imagined where she would be today. As a high-school student, her teachers encouraged her to take a nursing course. At age 17 she passed her board exams and started a promising career in the healthcare field.
But as a freshman in college, life changed, and she become a parent at the age of 19, putting her career goals on a temporary hold.
Despite being a single mother, she was able to go back to school and complete her Bachelor of Science degree, and now at 34, she has earned her Masters in Business Administration in healthcare management with Western Governors University, a non-profit private online university based in Utah.
As a healthcare administrator she incorporates her life’s lessons in developing the success of others. She has also started a nonprofit, the Nutressence Network, in Cypress Hills, which mentors minority nurses in healthcare leadership.
“As a young minority woman within the healthcare field, I find that it is difficult to identify minority women in the executive suite. I want to offer minority women the opportunity to grow within the healthcare professional ladder,” she said.
Now, out of more than 11,000 graduates across the country, Joanne was chosen to deliver the commencement speech at the university’s winter ceremonies on Feb. 11 in Orlando, Fla.
Standing O offers congratulations and good luck.
Nutressence Network [1413 Stanley Ave. #2, in Cypress Hills, (516) 387–4349].
