A Kenyan woman living and working as a nurse in the United States has shared the difficult decision she made to persuade her husband to abandon a lucrative truck-driving opportunity and pursue a career in nursing.
In a detailed account of their immigration journey, the woman, identified as Judy, said her husband, whom she refers to as “Mwalimu,” initially viewed truck driving as the fastest way to improve the family’s financial situation after settling in the US.
According to Judy, her husband had completed training as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) but was tempted by the prospect of becoming a commercial truck driver after learning about the income and relatively short training period.
“After CNA, Mwalimu had options. And one of them had 18 wheels and an $80K paycheck. Truck driving,” she recalled.
She said her husband was particularly attracted to the independence associated with truck driving, as well as the possibility of earning more than he was making as a CNA.
“He wanted it BAD. ‘Mama Liet,’ he said, ‘No boss. No English papers. Just me, the road, and money,’” she narrated.
However, Judy said she considered the decision from a family perspective rather than focusing solely on the potential income.
At the time, the couple had five children, aged between four and 19. She feared that spending weeks on the road would leave her husband physically absent from the children during important stages of their lives.
“Who helps Nadzua with college apps? Who teaches Manu to be a man? Who hears Miggy’s prayers? Who holds Ben when he cries for Kenya?” she asked.
The disagreement reportedly became intense, with her husband arguing that the family needed money and that nursing school could take several years.
Judy, however, stood her ground.
“‘NO. You will not die on I-80 for money when God brought you here to heal,’” she recalled telling him.
She said her husband was initially angry, but a moment involving their youngest child eventually changed his mind.
“He looked at Ben, four, sleeping on his chest, and whispered: ‘If I’m on the road, who will he call Daddy?’” Judy said.
Her husband subsequently abandoned the trucking plan and enrolled in nursing school.
The journey was far from easy. Judy said he failed mathematics in the TEAS examination before retaking and passing it. He also failed Anatomy and Physiology before eventually passing the course.
The family supported him throughout the process, with their children helping him study while he balanced CNA shifts, classes and clinical training.
“Two years. CNA shifts at night. Class in the day. Clinicals on weekends. We ate beans. We walked. We cried. But we did NOT quit,” she said.
The journey eventually culminated in his graduation and qualification as a registered nurse.
Judy said the achievement became a defining moment for the entire family, particularly for their children who had witnessed their father return to school despite the challenges.
“Graduation day? Baby Ben, four, now eight, wore a shirt: ‘MY DADDY IS A NURSE,’” she recalled.
She said her husband cried during the pinning ceremony, describing the moment as a powerful reminder of how far he had come.
For Judy, the experience was ultimately about choosing long-term family goals over immediate financial gains.
“Money is not the only currency,” she said, arguing that career decisions by immigrant families should also consider health, family time and long-term opportunities.
She also clarified that her story was not intended to diminish truck drivers, noting that she respects their contribution to the US economy.
“This was OUR path. Yours is noble too,” she said.
Judy has promised to share more details about how her family navigated nursing school while raising five children, including the financial and academic challenges they encountered along the way.