Brittany Joseph doesn’t look back on her childhood in Cutshin, Ky., with fondness.
“I had a really hard life growing up,” she said. “My parents struggled with mental health and addiction, so I was basically raised by my grandmother.”
School was difficult as she said she was frequently bullied. One taunt, in particular, shaped her life.
“I was always told I would just be another statistic, and so I dropped out of school at 16,” she said, explaining classmates and even some adults told her she was destined to struggle with the same problems as her parents.
“I was always told I would just be another statistic, and so I dropped out of school at 16,” she said, explaining classmates and even some adults told her she was destined to struggle with the same problems as her parents.
While her former classmates attended prom and made college plans, Joseph started a family.
And though she found herself believing those cruel words from her classmates, she said she had one person who always encouraged her to reach for more.
“My grandma wanted me to have a better life,” she said. “She wanted me to beat the system and make something of myself.”
A better life wasn’t always easy for Joseph to envision, but in time, she said she realized she needed to try.
“I didn’t want my daughter to grow up the way I did and so I promised her I would make it better,” she said.
Joseph’s grandmother encouraged her to go to nursing school, but that wasn’t an option without a high school diploma.
She instead started a bit slower, obtaining a nurse aid license and going to work at a local nursing home.
Joseph, then 25, quickly realized she was in the right place.
“I really enjoyed my job and loved helping take care of patients,” she said. “That’s when I decided my grandmother was right and I wanted to be a nurse.”
It took a few years, but she obtained her GED and then began working on a nursing degree at Hazard Community and Technical College.
“I didn’t think I would get in, but I was so happy when I did,” she said of her admission into nursing school.
Joseph has worked as an RN in behavioral health at Hazard ARH Regional Medical Center since her 2022 graduation.
Though often challenging, she said she always knew she wanted to work in mental health.
“No one wants to talk about mental health,” she said. “It’s treated like such a taboo subject and something to be ashamed of. I think everyone should have access to treatment and resources to help them when they most need it.
“It’s a wonderful feeling when you see someone come in and get the help they need and watch as they leave in a better place.”
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Joseph, who resides in Chavies, Ky., with her daughter Emmy, 15, and her son Elijah, 5, was recently named the recipient of ARH’s monthly EDcellence Award, a system-wide recognition of employees who exemplify excellence in education and personal development.
“I was shocked and honored when I found out,” she said, adding she hopes her story helps encourage others in similar situations.
“You get to choose how your life plays out and if you try hard enough, you can do anything.”
And though her grandmother passed away before Joseph began nursing school, she said she knows she made her proud.
“She’d be so happy,” she said, expressing gratitude for her grandmother’s unwavering support. “She was one of the very few people who always believed in me. When people told me I wouldn’t amount to anything, she told me I would. She told me I could prove them wrong, and I did.
“I couldn’t have done it without her.”
