After Tragedy, Sarah Latoria, MSN, APRN, Pays It Forward

After tragedy struck during her first full-time job, Sarah Latoria, APRN, lead advanced practice provider (APP) at Northwestern Medicine Woodstock Hospital, has dedicated her career to mentoring young professionals seeking to get into the nursing field.

When Latoria was a teenager, she wasn’t sure where she was going to end up, or what career was going to stick. Latoria did not graduate high school, but later got her General Educational Development (GED) diploma. At 18, she landed her first job as a flight attendant and was excited to begin her career.

But after two short years, a life-changing event would reroute her plans.

The morning of September 11, 2001, Latoria clocked in for her role as a flight attendant for the last time.  After the tragic events of that day, flights were no longer taking off, and Latoria again found herself questioning what the future held for her. Due to the decrease in available flights to support, Latoria was let go from her job and needed to find another career path.

In the following weeks, Latoria volunteered in a support group for airline staff members affected by the events of September 11, 2001. There, she met a nurse who she says changed her outlook on life.

“I thought she was cool, smart and confident,” Latoria says. “When I hear nurse, I think ‘successful.’ I wanted to be her.”

Latoria decided to follow the path of her new role model and hit the ground running.

“I packed a bag, left everything behind and moved back home to the suburbs of Chicago,” Latoria says. “I told my mom, ‘I want to go to school to be a nurse.’”

After getting her first certified nursing assistant (CNA) job, which is a role that provides support to patients and nurses, she knew she made the right decision.

Latoria then joined the ICU at Northwestern Medicine Delnor Hospital, where she worked for several years.

Latoria earned a Master of Science in Nursing with the help of Northwestern Medicine’s Educational Support Program, which includes benefits like:

• Tuition support
• Discounts for furthering education and training opportunities
• Student loan repayment options

Next, Latoria will be using similar Northwestern Medicine benefits to obtain her Doctor of Nursing Practice.

“You can go from getting your GED diploma to getting your doctorate,” Latoria says. “I hope my story can encourage even one person to shoot for the stars. Anything is possible.”

As the lead APP at Woodstock Hospital, Latoria mentors first-time APPs and new nurses in small groups that meet monthly. The goal of these meetings is to help participants grow professionally and to explore ways to inspire other prospective employees.

“I really want to encourage people who have a passion for medicine and a passion for caring for people to learn more about APPs and the work we do, and how they can have the confidence to enter this career,” Latoria says. “My experience as a first-in-my-family college graduate, as a woman, and as someone who has had to find my own path, has fueled my want and need to help others.”

When reflecting on her career journey, Latoria says September 11, 2001, was pivotal both personally and professionally.

“It was a horrible day, but it made me who I am,” Latoria says. “I couldn’t be prouder of myself.”

Learn more about Northwestern Medicine nursing careers at jobs.nm.org/nursing.