supervisory role while I attained my
bachelors and master’s degrees. When
I completed my graduate studies, I
got married and accepted a position
in the neurosurgical ICU at Florida
Hospital Tampa as a Critical Care
Nurse Practitioner. While I was in
graduate school, I began to dream of
transitioning from the hospital setting
to the aesthetic setting. I took courses
in fillers and injectables and began
to look downtown for a small space
to rent. During a conversation with
my hairdresser, I discovered that the
adjacent space to Liquid Hair Studio
in the Yarnall Building was available
to rent. Thus, Bella Viságe Medical &
Aesthetic Rejuvenation was born.
We opened our doors for business
in January 2016 with zero clients. I
was working full time at the hospital
WomanToWomanMagazine.com
I never thought that I would be
a single mother on welfare, but
at the age of 26, that’s exactly
what my life had become. I had even
been rejected to the nursing program
in Oklahoma where my son was born.
I moved to Florida to be closer to my
father and stepmother who helped me
raise him while I worked on improving
my grades in college so that I could be
accepted to a nursing program.
I knew that as a nurse, I would be able
to make a stable income and become
a contributing member of society,
however the road was tenuous. I began
taking courses at Polk Community
College when my son was 6 months
old. We were on food stamps, welfare
and lived in section 8 housing. I did
eventually qualify for the nursing
program at PCC and once again relied
on the Pell Grant and other programs
to pay for all my expenses.
I was extremely motivated to do well
in my courses, as I was humbled at my
circumstances and having to ask for
assistance of any kind. I maintained
a 4.0 GPA, served as the President of
the Florida Student Nurse Association
and volunteered 20 hours per week as
a requirement to receive my welfare
and food stamps. While in school
I accepted a position at Lakeland
Regional as a nursing assistant to get
my foot in the door. When I graduated
in 2001, I was given a position in the
surgical ICU as a bedside nurse. I
would eventually buy a small home
and move out of public housing.
The next fourteen years were filled
with very fulfilling work as an
ICU nurse. I was promoted to a
14
Jeanna with son Michael, 1998
/WomanToWomanMagazine.com
