Terri Coker and her son Steve Bushey have spent the past two years in the same home, attending the same nursing school and working toward the same dream.
Come May 25, all this will end as they graduate from the Mendocino College Registered Nursing Pro-gram and move on to separate lives.
Coker, 50, and Bushey, 30, moved to Nice in 2005 after they learned of their acceptance to the highly competitive program in Ukiah.
“I think it”s kinda hard on both of us,” said Coker about the prospect of being apart after such a long stint with one another. “But I think it”s time.”
Her son agreed.
“It”s about time,” said Bushey. “I”m ready for it. I feel like I”m more than ready to move away from my mom and I”m more than excited to start my career.”
Originally, becoming a nurse was Coker”s dream. “Steve”s grown up, so now I get to do what I wanted to do when I grew up,” she said.
Coker said that she had begun working toward this goal many years ago, but got into another field instead. She spent 15 years in information systems and management while she cared for her son and after that bought a restaurant in Fort Bragg — Sharon”s by the Sea.
“I”m looking forward to being a nurse,” she said. “I”ve wanted to be one for years.”
Bushey”s college plans didn”t include nursing, in fact, they weren”t even well-formed. “I was going to college aimlessly,” said Bushey. “I was taking random classes with an emphasis on science.”
Bushey credits his turn toward nursing with two things — his mother and the large math component associated with becoming a marine biologist. “She kept telling me about the nursing program,” said Bushey. “I started looking at it a little more seriously and realized it was a good field. So we started taking the prerequisites.”
But the dream could have been cut short, as Bushey and Coker quickly found out when only one of them was accepted to the College of the Redwoods Registered Nursing Program in 2004.
“We both applied, but only I got accepted,” said Bushey. “I felt bad because it was her thing before it was my thing. If anyone deserved to get in, it was her.”
“I was No. 90 on the waiting list,” said Coker.
The differences between nursing program entrance practices placed mother and son in a position of having to choose between attending separately or trying another program. They decided to apply at Mendocino College, where the Chancellor”s formula — a method that uses GPA calculations — is favored above a more-traditional “lottery system,” where students who meet minimum requirements are all placed together and drawn at random.
“This school bases it on merit and being that we”re both high achievers, so we both got in,” said Bushey. The pair both carry an above-3.8 GPA.
The large amount of time spent attending the same intensive program for two years only served to cement the solid relationship mother and son already had.
“You get to know another side of your child when you sit beside him in a classroom,” said Coker. “There are more insights into their personality — things you don”t see as a parent.”
While there are many good things that come with graduation, Bushey said the best thing about attending nursing school was meeting his future wife — fellow nursing student Lindsay Linnell.
“We were carpooling together and we just got to know each other,” said Bushey. The pair plan to be married in Maui Jan. 12, 2008 with family and close friends present.
“It would be really hard for us to spend any time together if only one of us was in nursing school,” said Linnell. “Nursing school is very time-consuming.”
“Nursing school helped build our relationship,” said Bushey.
“I am very glad that my son is happy, that he”s found what he wants,” said Coker about the addition of a daughter-in-law to her family.
Both Linnell and Bushey will work as RNs at Sutter Lakeside Hospital after they take their board exams and are eligible to receive licenses.
Coker plans on working in Fort Bragg as a Registered Nurse after she receives her license. “I”m really looking forward to serving the community over there,” she said.
As for the tough job of nursing that lies ahead for her son, Coker said, “He”s going to be a great nurse, but I knew that before.”
Contact Aura Thomas at athomas@record-bee.com.
