A Nurse Is Born

But that all changed after she joined Cleveland Clinic’s ASPIRE program. “We did so many different things,” Lewis says. “We learned CPR. We talked about health literacy. We shadowed nurses. It definitely held my attention.”

ASPIRE is the brainchild of philanthropists Lorie and Nick Howley. With seed funding and continued support from the Howley Foundation as well as support from Cleveland Clinic Board of Directors Chair Beth E. Mooney and the KeyBank Foundation, the program provides a pathway to healthcare professions for high school students from economically marginalized communities. Launched in 2016 with a focus on nursing, ASPIRE has expanded to include future respiratory therapists, surgical technicians and sterile processing technologists.

Lewis, a member of the first ASPIRE class, went on to pursue a nursing degree from Cuyahoga Community College, with her tuition covered by ASPIRE. She also gained hands-on experience working part time at Cleveland Clinic’s main campus, most recently as a clinical technician in the coronary intensive care unit. She has a full-time job waiting for her there after she graduates this year.

“In the ICU, you’re working with patients at their most vulnerable,” Lewis says. “You’re caring for people when they need it most. I find that very rewarding.”

ASPIRE has given her not only a focus, but a secure future in a field that needs her. “I’ve felt supported,” she says, “every step along the way.”