PARIS – One of Oxford Hills newest certified nursing assistants is a grandmother.

Some were fresh from high school.

Another returned to the profession after 17 years in which she was married and had another career.

There was even a guy.

It was a diverse class, ranging in age from 19 to 48, at Thursday night’s graduation ceremony at the Forum at the Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School.

New graduate Reta Lumb talked about being a CNA.

“There’s something special about this job,” Lumb said. “My patients need me.”

Adult Education Director Judy Green said the CNA course is the hardest thing her colleagues make adults do.

“We’re very proud of our graduates,” Green said.

Registered nurses Marcia Campbell and Lee Berry teach the course twice a year. Both work for Stephens Memorial Hospital and Berry is the school nurse at Sumner Elementary School for SAD 39.

The 20 graduates began the course in January and attended classes three nights a week for a total of 92 hours. They also have had 88 hours of clinical experience.

The adult education students, as well as technical school students, earn a state certificate, which all CNAs must have to work.

“Our people are all employed immediately, in fact we get call from nursing homes in the area asking if we could do more courses,” Green said. “Many students use it as first step in becoming a registered nurse.”

Campbell said about 20 to 25 percent of the graduates will go further into a nursing service or branch off into other medical careers such as working in doctor’s offices, medical labs and pharmacies.

Class valedictorian Kerry Millett, 42, of Otisfield took the CNA course 25 years ago. But, she said before she could work in the field, she married and eventually worked for a local water bottling company.

“I could have taken a test and avoided the three to four hours of homework every night, but I wanted to take the course,” Millett said. “I enjoyed it, but did you know that 25 years ago there was no textbook for the course in Oxford Hills?”

The graduates were: Melanie Bartlett, Shad Clifford, Danielle Cronin, Lynda Frechette, Ashley Holland, Donna Johnson, Ashley Kenyon, Tanya Kimball, Reta Lumb, Lisa Martin, Kerry Millett, Gail Paine, Reneta Rolfe, Terry Seilonen, Monica Smith, Katherine Tucker, Nicole Westleigh, Debra Woodbury and Heather Yoerin.

Class salutatorians were: Bartlett, Holland, Martin, Smith and Westleigh.

The personal growth award went to Lumb, and Woodbury was chosen for the Caregiver Award for being the person who the majority of the class would like to care for them or their families.

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