Kyle Kenerly chose to find his path at the University of West Georgia for several reasons. As a big history fan, Kenerly planned to get a history degree and coach football.

His research showed him that UWG had an excellent College of Education. He also hoped to play college football. And, his grandparents lived in Carrollton, so he was very familiar with the area. With all those factors in place, he thought his career path was set.

Eventually though, Kenerly decided that being a nurse was the right fit for him.

"UWG has a fantastic nursing program," Kenerly began. "And being here allowed me to be near my grandparents and visit with them before their passing."

Kenerly was also able to do his clinicals at Carrollton's Tanner Medical Center.

"I became very familiar with the facility during my grandfather's extended illness," Kenerly explained. "I even had the opportunity to do my first semester clinicals in the oncology unit where he spent much time. Some days it was hard, but overall, it was a privilege to work with the nurses who took care of him."

Working his clinicals at Tanner also gave Kenerly the unique opportunity of working with nurses who had been taught by or who had worked with his grandmother, the late Montes Johnson Kenerly, who received her RN in nursing from West Georgia in 1986.

After her graduation, Ms. Kenerly worked at Tanner for several years and then went on to teach at the local technical school as well as some area high schools.

"I remember how excited she was when I first told her I was going to pursue nursing," Kenerly remembered. "Growing up, she would tell us stories from her nursing days. She told me she looked forward to helping me with school whenever I needed it."

After graduation in May 2019, Kenerly already sees new possibilities for himself.

"I want to work somewhere like Grady or Emory," he finished. "And I hope to work in the emergency department or trauma center."