Trevor Mullard, RN, enters patient information into the Pyxis Medstation, a machine that communicates with the hospital’s pharmacy to dispense medication.

Imagining what he would be when he grew up, Trevor Mullard never thought of a career in nursing.

“Nursing has been the greatest thing for me. I never thought I could do some of the things I am doing right now and it’s amazing,” Mullard said.

After graduating from Jamestown High School in 2002, Mullard spent one semester at Jamestown Community College before joining the United States Marine Corps. In addition to basic training and combat training, Mullard attended school and was trained as an aviation support equipment electrician during his five years of military service.

“When I got out, I wasn’t sure exactly what I wanted to do,” Mullard said.

Finding a job in the aviation support field did not go as he had initially hoped, and he worked a few different positions before deciding to pursue a career in nursing.

“My whole family is in the medical field, my mother works as a medical compliance officer, my younger sister is a nurse at Lutheran and my older sister is a nurse at Frewsburg Manor. So I thought, maybe I’ll give nursing a shot,” he said.

Mullard enrolled in the licensed practical nursing program at Erie 2-Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES, and upon completion worked as an LPN at Heritage Village in Gerry, working mainly with residents with Alzheimer’s disease.

“I took care of the same patients for years (while working at Heritage) and they became like family,” Mullard said of his experience. “When patients’ families come to visit, they treat you like family too because they are so appreciative that you are caring for (their loved ones).”

After a few years of working at Heritage, Mullard decided to continue his nursing education and was accepted into the Registered Nursing program at Jamestown Community College.

“As a smaller community college, the faculty and staff at JCC really were able to work with us one on one and I got a lot of great feedback and experiences while I was there. It’s a great program,” he said.

For students considering a career in nursing, Mullard is emphatically supportive.

“Nursing is the most rewarding field (a student) can go into and they will never be out of a job,” he said. “Nurses are in such high demand right now, it’s hard to fill positions. There will always be people who are sick and they need to be cared for by somebody.”

Since graduating in May 2015, Mullard has worked as a Registered Nurse at WCA Hospital in the Cardiac Care Unit, a huge change from his career in the Marine Corps, but one he would not trade for anything.

“I love what I do,” he said. “You are right in the middle of someone else’s life, helping them and every day you are making a difference.”

This feature is part of a series focusing on residents who have received scholarships from the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation and have moved back to or remained in, the area to live and work. If you, or someone you know, received a scholarship from the Community Foundation and would like to be featured, contact Sarah Shelters at 661-3390 or sshelters@crcfonline.org.

The Community Foundation is now accepting scholarship applications for the 2016-2017 school year. To qualify, students must have graduated from a Chautauqua County high school. Scholarships are offered to undergraduate and graduate students studying a variety of subjects and vocations at two-year or four-year colleges or universities.

**To apply for the Community Foundation’s scholarship program, click here**