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 Brenda
Phillips dropped out of school, married at a young age, and thought
her life's career would be to stay home and raise her children.
Years later, she found herself a single parent without marketable
skills. That's when she met an instructor at Southwest Technology
Center who helped turn her life around.
Phillips has seen both sides of CareerTech education.
Today, she is both a graduate and instructor of the practical
nursing program at Southwest Technology.
That's why she's been recognized as one
of Oklahoma's CareerTech champions.
CareerTech Champions are alumni of the system who have
found success in a career and attribute much of that success
to their occupational program and student organization.
Although Phillips is now an instructor
in the practical nursing program at Southwest Technology Center
in Altus, the same program from which she graduated in 1990 -
getting there was not easy.
When Phillips was a sophomore in high school, she married, then
dropped out of school. She thought the only thing women were
supposed to do was get married and stay home to raise a family.
Today, she admits that idea didn't work out as she planned!
Twelve years later, Phillips could see that she would need an
education if she was ever going to be able to help her children
with their homework or if something happened to her husband and
she was left to make the living for her family. So she took her
GED test to receive a high school diploma.
Eight years later, Phillips found herself alone, with three children
and no marketable skills.
That's when she decided to enroll at Southwest Technology Center
in Altus to become a practical nurse. There, Phillips met an
instructor who motivated students to succeed.
 "Donna
Hargett, director of practical nursing at Southwest, motivated
her students to strive for the best. It wasn't easy, but she
pushed us anyway, and I thank her for that," Phillips said.
"She's now an instructor at Mid-Del Technology Center."
After graduation from the SWTC program, Phillips had a thirst
for more knowledge.
Today, she is completing the RN program at Southwestern Oklahoma
State College in Weatherford, with plans of working to receive
her master's degree in nurse education.
"None of this would have been possible, had I not started
in Oklahoma's career and technology system," Phillips said.
"Although I have been a nurse in several different settings,
teaching is the best of the best for me."
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