Professor Brian Kling knows what it's like to be a non-traditional student, balancing life and college challenges while trying to better himself in OCC's Nursing program. He was in that position just a few years ago. "I was just talking with one of my students who was very much in my situation. She went to Business school, decided that wasn't for her, and now she's in the Nursing program. I told her my trajectory, how I moved along the path, and how she could get a master's degree."
Kling is a new Nursing Professor, instructing students in OCC's new evening cohort. He's in a position he couldn't have imagined for himself two decades ago. The Allentown, Pennsylvania native moved to Central New York for a job as an actuary. An actuary analyzes the financial consequences of risk. "I was crunching numbers and doing math all day long. It was lucrative, but it got old after 15 years."
In his mid 30s he decided to make a change. In 2013 Kling enrolled in OCC's Nursing program. "I was working and I was married with kids. I loved the flexibility of the program. As an adult learner, I could come up here and work when I had time in my schedule. I really liked the science of nursing. I liked taking care of people and helping people."
Kling would receive his associate degree in 2015, then earn a master's degree from SUNY Upstate Medical University where he still works as a nurse. "I think it's really important to continue working, keep my skills sharp, and stay up to date with the newest things in the industry."
Besides sharing the latest trends with his students, Kling can also tell them what it's been like working during COVID-19. "It totally changed everything. It made everything more difficult. We had to wear personal protective equipment which made it take longer to see all of your patients. It was scary in the beginning, but now we know what it is and we know how to work with it."
When he's not working at Upstate, Kling spends his Tuesday and Thursday nights teaching at OCC. "I have students who are just out of high school and I have students who are looking to change what they are doing just like I was. I really love teaching."
