BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Taft College hosted a celebration at Seven Oaks Country Club to honor graduates of its Summer 2025 Pre-Nursing Internship program.
- Taft College held a celebration at Seven Oaks Country Club in Bakersfield to honor graduates of its Summer 2025 Pre-Nursing Internship program.
- The program addresses the growing demand for nurses in Kern County and across California.
With the demand for nurses growing across California, and especially in Kern County, Taft College is celebrating the next generation of healthcare professionals.
On Tuesday, students and faculty gathered at Seven Oaks Country Club in Bakersfield to honor graduates of the college’s Summer 2025 Pre-Nursing Internship program. Many of the students are preparing for the next step in their journey: receiving their pin and certification.
“From registration, CNA, nurses, and doctors, every single person a patient encounters plays a vital role in their care, and has the chance to show human kindness,” said Julieta Rivera, a Taft College graduate and returning participant in the internship.
Rivera completed her internship this summer with Dignity Health, after previously training with Adventist Health. She said the program has pushed her to grow professionally and personally.
“It definitely taught me how to manage ambiguity, and how to really step out of my comfort zone and be able to think critically on my feet,” she said. “I really got to learn more about bedside care and bedside manner, but also how to respond in really intense and terrifying situations.”
Rivera was inspired to pursue nursing after her mother was diagnosed with cancer.
“They weren’t just treating her, they were taking care of us like human beings,” she said of the nurses who supported her family. “That experience made me realize the kind of difference I want to make in the world.”
For fellow graduate Stardelia Hurd, the internship provided not only hands-on experience but clarity about her career path.
“It’s a good experience overall to see if healthcare is for you,” Hurd said. “You have to love it in order to do it, to give it your all.”
Hurd emphasized the importance of programs like this amid the ongoing nursing shortage, saying it gives students a crucial early start.
“I really love helping people, that's my love language, to help people and put a smile on their face,” she said. “To be a part of the solution is a great feeling.”
Hurd also hopes others see beyond the profession’s financial incentives and focus on the human impact.
“Oftentimes people see the aesthetics of the money and everything, but it’s more about helping everyone,” she said. “Because your loved one can be in that position and you’d want someone to help them and treat them like family.”
As these future nurses move forward in their education and careers, many say they’re motivated by one goal: making a difference right here at home.
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