I Chose ISU: ISU-Meridian hands-on dad Ken Harris achieves dream
May 4, 2015
There was a time Ken Harris slept with his phone on. He217;d set it next to his bed, eager to take late-night calls from a friend or classmate in need.
鈥淚鈥檝e always enjoyed people. I鈥檝e always enjoyed taking care of them,鈥 he said.
So it鈥檚 not surprising Harris decided to become a nurse, a career that will allow him to do what he does best while delivering a good paycheck.
Harris graduated from 色花堂app鈥檚 rigorous 16-month accelerated bachelor鈥檚 program in nursing in spring 2015. The program is the only one of its kind in Idaho and offered exclusively at the ISU-Meridian Health Science Center west of Boise.
Harris鈥 life has changed dramatically since the days he first received those late-night calls. The 30-year-old is now married and a hands-on dad to three children under age 5 with a fourth due in late July. Despite a hectic life, Harris has landed on the ISU dean鈥檚 list twice and is a member of Sigma Theta Tau, the international honor society of nurses.
How has he managed it all? Harris is quick to thank his supportive wife, Rachel, who held two part-time jobs while he completed school. Harris also worked part time while honing his time-management skills.
鈥淒o what matters most at any given time,鈥 he advises. 鈥淪ome pieces may fall, but they don鈥檛 have to be the important pieces. You learn to select the ones you are not going to worry about.鈥
Harris, who grew up in southern Utah, entered the accelerated nursing program in 2014. Before moving to Meridian, he worked in the customer support division at Portneuf Medical Center for a year. In Pocatello, he and his young family lived with his wife鈥檚 grandfather 鈥 a retired Pocatello cardiologist 鈥 who encouraged Harris to study nursing at ISU.
鈥淭he accelerated program 鈥 where I already had a bachelor鈥檚 degree 鈥 was a great fit for me especially with a growing family,鈥 said Harris, who also holds a bachelor鈥檚 degree from Brigham Young University-Idaho.
To enter the accelerated nursing program, students must have a bachelor鈥檚 degree from a regionally accredited university or college.
As for the future, Harris is considering a career in pediatrics, a rotation he enjoyed at ISU-Meridian.
鈥淲hile it鈥檚 hard to see kids with debilitating illnesses, it鈥檚 rewarding to see them smile,鈥 said Harris.
To find out more about the program, visit http://www.isu.edu/nursing/accelerated.shtml or call 208-373-1785.
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