Idaho Division of Career Technical Education
01/27/2026 | News release | Distributed by Public on 01/27/2026 15:53
Nursing graduate finds support, success through Center for New Directions
When Caitlyn Keelin walks the halls of Portneuf Medical Center's progressive care unit, she's not just a nurse tending to patients-she's proof of what determination, community and the right support system can achieve.
Keelin's path to nursing wasn't a straight line. She became a mother at 15, earned her GED in Wyoming after leaving high school and started pursuing a career in pharmacy before stepping away to raise her growing family. Years later, while working full time in a call center and raising four children, she decided to take a leap she'd long dreamed about.
"It was during COVID, and I saw that nurses were really needed," Keelin said. "That's what I'd always wanted to do, so I thought, well, it's now or never."
She enrolled at the College of Eastern Idaho (CEI), first earning her associate of science degree in 2022 and later gaining admission to CEI's nursing program that same year. It was a demanding schedule. She juggled coursework, labs and clinicals while raising her children and continuing to work. That's when she discovered CEI's Center for New Directions (CND). Initially, she turned to the center for help with child care.
"They would pay my copayments so I didn't have to worry," Keelin said. "As I got to know them, I realized they could help with so much more, including books, scrubs, food and even gas to get to school."
That support proved life-changing.
"Once I found out they offered help with things like a food pantry, I could work less and focus more on my classes," she said. "That was a lot of help to be able to graduate."
With the center's assistance, Keelin completed both of her degrees without needing student loans.
"Every time we go to the doctor's office, they tell everyone, 'My mom's a nurse," Keelin said. "They're proud of me. It's cool to see that. It shows them that you can do it if you put in the effort."
Caitlyn Keelin, nursing graduate, CEI"I don't think I could have done it without them, especially financially," she said. "There were times when I thought, 'I don't know what I'm going to do,' and they would always be there to help."
In December 2024, Keelin graduated from CEI's nursing program. Today, she works nights at Portneuf Medical Center on the progressive care unit, caring for cardiac patients and others who need close monitoring.
"It's crazy because now I have free time," Keelin said with a laugh. "I never thought I would, but now I can actually be a person."
That shift has transformed her family life, too.
"I can go to my son's football games and my daughter's dance classes," she said. "I don't have to miss anything."
Her new schedule has given her more than time-it's given her children a reason to celebrate.
Looking back, Keelin has simple advice for others walking a similar path.
"There's light at the end of the tunnel," she said. "At first, it feels like it'll never get better, but if you stick with it, eventually it's done. And it's definitely worth it."
Idaho Division of Career Technical Education published this content on January 27, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on January 27, 2026 at 21:53 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]