05/30/2026
Natasha Blue wants working moms to know that they can earn a degree.
“People think, ‘I don’t have time,’ but once you talk to people and get the resources you need, you can do it,” she said. “You can make it happen.”
And she should know. In May, the Ballston Spa resident walked across the Harding Mazzotti stage, SUNY Adirondack Nursing degree in hand, with her family cheering from the audience.
But in 2021, she was a newly divorced mom of four, earning a living doing grocery and food delivery, with her youngest child in tow.
“The older kids were in school and I could bring my son with me, and he loved it,” she recalled. She was making decent money in tips, but started to think about her next move. “I want my kids to have the best future, to be able to help put them through school, and to do more than I could if I worked for $23 an hour for the rest of my life.”
Natasha had always wanted to be a nurse — “I mean, I’m a natural caregiver, a people person, obviously, I have six kids, I’m kind and I love people,” she said — so she decided to go to college. “I said ‘That’s it, I’m doing nursing.’ And I jumped right in.”
She started work on prerequisite courses at SUNY Adirondack in 2023 and learned that, through Healthcare Pathways, a grant-funded program at the college that supports people pursuing health care careers, she could become a licensed PCA (personal care assistant) to work in a hospital while going to school. “As soon as I was done the class, I was hired,” she marveled.
Around that time, she started dating a man who had been a close friend in high school. “I told him, ‘I’m signed up at SUNY Adirondack and it’s a big commitment,’ and he said, ‘That’s awesome,’” she remembered.
By the time she entered the Nursing program, she learned she was pregnant — with twins. Despite what seemed like an impossible proposition (going to college full time, working and caring for six kids, including two infants), Natasha pushed forward.
“I had tried college when I had just my two oldest kids, but this go round, I said, ‘It’s time.’ It’s obviously never going to be the right time; you just have to want it enough,” she said.
Her twins were able to stay at the on-campus day care, something she said was an enormous help. “I’d keep them there for two hours after class was done and head to the library,” she explained.
Throughout the time it took to earn a Nursing degree, Natasha faced significant challenges. Not a natural test taker, she often was frustrated by her performance on exams. Her father was diagnosed as having cancer, then was in hospice care. She missed some of her kids’ events. “But somehow I did it,” she said.
Under SUNY Reconnect, a state-funded program that supports those ages 25 to 55 without a college degree earn an associate in high-demand fields, and with support from Healthcare Pathways, the cost of Natasha’s tuition and school supplies were covered. She also received support through gas cards and even purchase of her cap and gown.
At the Nursing Pinning Ceremony, Natasha was honored with a DAISY Award, a recognition that celebrates and recognizes nurses by collecting nominations from patients, families and co-workers.
“That was so amazing,” she gushed. “I’m 37 and I’ve had plenty of jobs — serving, customer service, bartending — and they don’t care how nice you are, but in nursing you get recognized for that. The fact my classmates saw the way I am with patients and recognized it was so meaningful.”
