Published June 2026

It takes a specific kind of resilience to balance the financial demands of homeownership and daily life with family caregiving responsibilities, all while managing the heavy workload of a nursing program. 

For Nina Marie Crihfield, this isn't just a stressful schedule, it’s the practical reality shaping her future as a business owner and healthcare provider.

Crihfield’s path hasn't followed a standard timeline. She graduated high school two years early in 2015 to go straight into caregiving. It immediately became more than just an entry-level job.

“I quickly fell in love, not only with caregiving itself, but with the deep human connection that comes from helping people during the most vulnerable moments of their lives,” Crihfield recalls. “It became more than a job; it became my calling.”

To turn her experience into a career, Crihfield enrolled in the Nurse Assistant program at Emily Griffith Technical College in 2016.

“I chose Emily Griffith because it felt different from other schools, it felt personal, supportive, and truly invested in the success of its students,” she says.

She graduated in 2017 with a 4.0 GPA and earned her Certified Nurse Assisting (CNA) license. For the next several years, she worked in home health care, geriatrics, and hospice. By 2023, she started her own sole proprietor home care company, and by 2025, she bought her first home.

Ready to advance her credentials, she returned to Emily Griffith for the Practical Nursing  program, ultimately working toward a Bachelor’s degree in Health Sciences and an eventual Master’s degree in Business.

However, making the difficult decision to pause her growing business to focus on school, while also navigating the financial, physical, and emotional challenges of helping care for her sick father, required an immense amount of resilience. 

This is where institutional and donor-supported financial aid stepped in. Crihfield was able to fully fund her education through a combination of grants and scholarships, allowing her to balance her education with her family obligations.

“The financial support I have received has made it possible for me to continue pursuing my dreams during some very difficult times,” Crihfield says. “There have been months where paying my mortgage or even buying groceries became a real financial sacrifice.”

The assistance helped her maintain her momentum when external pressures piled up.

“Emily Griffith stepped in during moments when I truly needed support the most,” she notes. “Because of the generosity and opportunities I have received, I have been able to stay focused on my education, continue working toward becoming a nurse, and keep building a future that I have worked so hard for.”

Crihfield is on track to graduate from the Practical Nursing program in December 2026, and she already has a clear vision for the day she steps off the graduation stage.

“I cannot wait to finish school, become a nurse, continue growing my business, and keep caring for those who need compassion most,” she says. “Helping others has never just been my career, it is who I am. Along this journey, I hope to continue making people feel seen, safe, valued, and loved, just as so many incredible people once did for me.”

Crihfield notes that the culture inside Emily Griffith sets it apart from other schools she has attended.

“I have attended several educational institutions, and Emily Griffith stands apart because they genuinely care about people, not just tuition,” she says. “They see potential in people and provide opportunities for students to pursue their passions, dreams, and purpose.”

Crihfield is on track to graduate from the Practical Nursing program in December 2026. For the donors who fund foundation scholarships and non-tuition wraparound support through the Student Essentials & Emergencies Fund, she emphasizes that the impact goes far beyond tuition numbers.

“To someone considering making a donation, I would say this: you are not just giving money... you are giving people hope, opportunity, and purpose,” Crihfield says. “Every donation has the power to help someone create a future filled with passion, success, and the ability to positively impact the lives of others.”