Notre Dame Education Center in Lawrence, Massachusetts, (NDEC-L) was established in 1997 to provide immigrant adults in the greater Lawrence community with education and training to achieve their personal and professional goals. NDEC-L offers English classes, citizenship exam preparation, and nursing assistant training to approximately 400 students each year, and up to 60 compassionate caregivers graduate from NDEC-L's nursing assistant programs each year.

Seventeen years ago, Amy White, RN, started teaching in NDEC's nursing assistant program (NAP). She remodeled the program and has ushered hundreds of adults in the Merrimack Valley into a career in healthcare. When the pandemic struck in 2020, nursing homes were closed to the public, which also meant they were closed to students needing clinical experience, including our program. White, still needing a job, brought her talents to Genesis HealthCare.

Two years later, when NDEC reopened the program, NDEC-L sought White's expertise again. Always committed to the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur's mission of goodness and opportunity, White resumed her role as primary instructor for the NAP programs in January, and her vision for her students continues to inspire.

"There was a resident who was actively dying, with no family or friends present," White said, sharing a special story about a recent NAP cohort's clinical experience at Mary Immaculate Health/Care Services (MI) in Lawrence.

"The students rotated in pairs to stay with the resident until we finally had to leave the unit. At one point, when I went to check on the resident, two of our students were gently singing Amazing Grace. The resident passed while we were still in the facility, so we were invited to the room where the chaplain said prayers. MI was very thankful for the students' care. I admired all the students throughout the entire program. They were very encouraging to each other and very inclusive." NDEC-L is so proud of this caring group, and we know they will be impactful in the healthcare community."

We share the story of St. Julie and her mission with all the students of NDEC-L. The nursing assistant programs notably embody the principle of "choosing to see and to be goodness" in the world. They make a difference to the most vulnerable in our communities. We are grateful to be working to advance the mission of St. Julie and the Sisters each day.



ALISA POVENMIRE IS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF NOTRE DAME EDUCATION CENTER IN LAWRENCE, MASSACHUSETTS, AN INCLUSIVE LEARNING COMMUNITY WHERE DIVERSE, UNDERSERVED ADULTS ENRICH THEIR LIVES THROUGH EDUCATION. NDEC-L PROVIDES ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND CITIZENSHIP CLASSES, SKILLS TRAINING AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT TUITION-FREE OR LOW-COST IN A LEARNING ENVIRONMENT THAT IS WELCOMING, RESPECTFUL, AND DIGNIFIED.