Anthony Gill says he was drawn to do something in the health care profession from an early age.

“I was 11, but still have vivid memories of my grandmother and her struggle with brain cancer,” he says. “Her experience and the exposure to the medical world made me realize I wanted to be involved in some capacity.”

After high school, Gill attended Long Island University to study pharmacy, but due to financial and family issues he was unable to remain in school.

Gill moved to Virginia in 1998 and has been working as a patient care technician. He is a certified hemodialysis technician for West End Dialysis in Richmond. Three years ago he returned to school at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College and entered the nursing program.

“I had great encouragement from my girlfriend and colleagues,” says Gill. “People told me the program was rigorous and challenging and that appealed to me–along with the financial advantages of attending JSRCC.”

With three more clinical courses left to complete his degree, Gill will graduate in December and wants to transfer to Virginia Commonwealth University to earn a BSN and specialize in nephrology nursing. While continuing to work full-time he has maintained a 3.4 grade point average and received the Flagler Foundation Nursing Scholarship for 2008-09.

“The opportunity J. Sargeant Reynolds has provided me has changed my life in many ways,” says Gill. “It has provided me a great education. I also realize it is a good role model for my 13-year-old son, Damon. When I go to the library, he comes along and works on his schoolwork while I am working on mine.”