Seth Ronk - GHC Alum, Nursing

The Long and Winding Path to a Career that Makes a Difference

In the pursuit of our dreams, many of us will encounter unexpected detours and face obstacles that test our resilience. Seth Ronk, a graduate of Grays Harbor College’s Nursing program and student at the University of Washington School of Medicine, knows this all too well.

Seth’s college career began just out of high school. He graduated high school with a 2.7 GPA and had the opportunity to attend a university on a football scholarship. “When I got there, I thought it was cool that I was at a university. I was the first in my family to attend a university,” Seth remembered. “I applied myself to my studies, and I was finding success.” Eventually, Seth chose school over athletics and gave up football to focus on his studies. He saw this as an investment in his future, a move that would put him on a path to a career.

As it turned out, Seth’s path to a career would be “a lot longer and more winding” than he expected. He left school a couple times so he could work full time and save up money. “I remember starting a few quarters unable to purchase my books,” he recalled. He also started volunteering. “I got really into student outreach. I also did neurophysiology research for a few years. Looking back now, it’s crazy the amount of work I put in at that time.”

Seth eventually enrolled in a graduate program, but ultimately decided it wasn’t a good fit. “I left and worked in warehouses for a while. It was the first period in life I had time to reflect on what was important to me,” Seth shared. “I was proud of my accomplishments and my research in college, but the thing I valued most was helping others. Nursing fit my values much better.”

Seth found GHC’s Nursing program application just two weeks before applications closed. “I had all the prerequisites, I had an A in all of those classes. Half of my prerequisites expired if I applied a year later. I also had a lot of support in the form of family in the area. It was just one of those things where you’re like, ‘this is supposed to happen.’ Everything lined up perfectly,” he remembered.

As a Nursing student, Seth enjoyed the simulation labs. He also appreciated the Nursing faculty’s dedication to the program. “Something notable about the teachers in the Nursing program is the passion the instructors have for the field,” Seth shared, adding that he continues to keep in touch with his instructors even years after graduating from GHC. “I still talk to Carol O’Neil about career stuff.”

Outside of Nursing, Seth enjoyed being a mentor with the TRIO STEM program. In his second year at GHC, he landed a Work Study position in the Institutional Effectiveness, Research, and Planning department doing data analysis, which he described as being a valuable learning opportunity. “I showed up on my first day in moccasins, basketball shorts, and a white tee shirt,” Seth remembered. “This was a chance for me to improve my professionalism. I didn’t grow up with family who worked in a professional environment so how to dress, and act, was new to me. The staff at Grays Harbor was extremely helpful in this regard.”

It may have seemed that Seth was well on his way to a career, but as it turned out, there were still a few more twists and turns on his path. After a car accident during Nursing school, completing the program was in question. He reached out to Workforce Funding and was relieved to find not just a solution, but support. “Debbie Richters really worked hard to help, and it meant a lot to have somebody actually try,” he remembered.

Looking back on his educational career up to this point, Seth said his advice to potential students is, “it’s never too late to take school seriously. It’s never too late to try to make something happen.”

Seth said he has a soft spot for the area and is excited to now be in the position to give back. “I was accepted to a targeted rural and underserved program. I want to practice in Grays Harbor,” he said. “I moved a lot growing up, but Grays Harbor is home.”

Like many in the medical field, Seth knows that he is not choosing an easy career path, and serving a rural and underserved community will bring additional challenges. “I worked at the hospital here for a bit. I’m familiar with the healthcare challenges on the Harbor. I am also aware of some people’s feelings about healthcare here. I’m in school and a program to help best prepare me for these challenges (the Targeted Rural Underserved Track at the UW School of Medicine, TRUST),” he said. “I don’t know what I’m going to practice in yet, but I’m dead set; this is where I want to practice.”

Seth is confident that he can succeed in a challenging career and make a difference on the Harbor. He has already proven to himself that he can persevere through even the hardest of situations. Seth said he has embraced the opportunities that adversity can bring and he encourages others to do the same. “Things happen and it’s important to remember that you’re going to tell yourself the story about how you handled that later on. Adversity can be a confidence builder if you choose to let it be.”