Immokalee Technical College is proud to welcome Candice Thomas, RN as the new nursing instructor in the Health Sciences Department. Ms. Thomas was born and raised in Immokalee. At a very young age Thomas knew she wanted to be a nurse. “I had a lot of family members who were sick,” she reflects, “so growing up, I spent a lot of time in the hospital caring for them. They were at the most vulnerable time in their lives-sick, in pain, and scared.  I saw the impact a good nurse could make. I wanted to be that nurse who made a difference and had a positive influence on the lives of others.” After graduating high school, she enrolled in the iTECH LPN program. In a year, she received her LPN license and began working in a community health setting while continuing her education at Florida Southwestern State College to become a registered nurse. When she graduated, Ms. Thomas entered the health administration field specializing in infection control, occupational health, and staff development. “A nurse is fortunate to make a difference and be remembered by a handful of patients, but one small change for the better in administration can impact so many lives,” she says. Like many who are born and raised in a small town, Thomas was eager to spread her wings to see and experience new places. She worked as a traveling nurse on various missionary assignments, and she holds licenses in Florida, New York and Montana. “It didn’t take me long, though,” Thomas adds, “to appreciate the values of a small town and the value of family which made me want to come home.” Thomas said she is grateful to iTECH for opening the doors to opportunity for so many people in the Immokalee and surrounding communities and for the instructors who motivated her and believed in her. “I want to do the same for the nursing students today, to help mold them into the dedicated and caring nurses of tomorrow.”