HTC Alumni Success Story
Nursing Student Charity Marketon is Making a Difference
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HTC student Charity Marketon was deeply affected by the illness and death of her grandfather and also by her role as a caregiver for her grandmother following her grandmother’s heart attack. “I know I can make a difference in the lives of other people,” says Marketon of her experience as a caregiver. That realization prompted her to act on her longstanding desire to work in the health care field. It also fueled an idea to help students who face the financial pressure of a health crisis or other unexpected expense. |
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“I knew I wanted a career in the health care field, and this experience helped me decide what to do,” says Marketon, who was raised in Waverly, Minn., and now lives in nearby Howard Lake. After completing her general education studies, she plans to enroll in HTC’s Practical Nursing program. “I want to work in a nursing care center rather than a hospital, because I want to get to know my patients and provide long-term care.”
Marketon is already making a difference at HTC.
“I know that having a health care crisis and extra bills can make it impossible for some students to stay in college,” explained Marketon. “I wanted to find a way to help.” Her idea grew from an assignment for an Ethics class she was enrolled in at the time of her grandfather’s death in January 2005. To Marketon, establishing a crisis fund seemed like a way to make a difference. To establish the fund, she has worked with Carole Carlson, HTC’s executive director of Institutional Advancement, to provide background information to donors about the HTC Foundation, which oversees disbursement of grants from crisis funds.
Since Marketon’s grandfather, George Karels, was a businessman in Howard Lake, she approached businesses there about supporting a fund in his honor. The Howard Lake Lions Club held a chow mein dinner as a fundraiser and donated the proceeds to the George Karels Crisis Fund. The organization’s support also helped get an article in the local newspaper which helped promote the event. So far, Marketon has collected donations totaling $1,825.11 for the George Karels Crisis Fund.
As Carlson describes it, the grants awarded from a student crisis fund help with a small but immediate need, such as a medical expense or the cost of a car battery. For example, the fund has helped a student replace textbooks destroyed in an apartment fire. “For a lot of people $50 or $100 doesn’t mean much, but for some of our students, it can mean staying in school,” Carlson explained. “Charity’s work will make it possible for HTC students to receive a helping hand when they need it most.”
It’s easy to see that whether she’s helping her family or fellow HTC students, Charity Marketon has already found a way to make a difference.
Contact HTC at 952-995-1300 or info@hennepintech.edu
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