Raevyn Goodson '23

Whether juggling 12-hour hospital shifts or a 4-hour time difference for virtual classes, Alaska native Raevyn Goodson knows how to keep her cool.

Raevyn Goodson

Raevyn Goodson has found a new home away from home at Ithaca College. (Photo by Giovanni Santacroce.)

If working 12-hour shifts in a long-term care facility during a pandemic showed Raevyn Goodson ’23 one thing, it’s that stress is all relative.  

“You just have to try not to be stressed in the moment,” says Raevyn. “[Your patients] are way more stressed than you are.” 

During high school in her small hometown of Ketchikan, Alaska (pop. 8,477), Raevyn became an emergency trauma technician and then completed clinical work to become a certified nurse assistant (CNA). 

“When I got to see the real thing as far as what CNAs do, it was so different from what we see in the books and learn about in videos. I kind of fell in love,” she says. 

That love brought her 3,000 miles from home to Ithaca College, where she could pursue IC’s pre-health professions major. To meet the rigor of the program, she realized she had to boost her study skills and found friends who helped. Raevyn was just settling into her new home when the COVID-19 pandemic sent her back to Alaska for remote classes. She used the sudden change to put her education to work, obtaining a position at a long-term care facility.  

“You kind of became their [only] family. And so you really have to get it together because they’re expecting so much from you.”  

Juggling a demanding job, challenging coursework, and a four-hour time difference wasn't easy. But seeing how she could give her patients and their families hope and support inspired Raevyn and restored her strength. 

“You kind of became their [only] family,” Raevyn explains. “And so you really have to get it together because they’re expecting so much from you.”  

Raevyn’s experiences in Ketchikan during the pandemic helped her discover an ability to rise to big challenges, leading her to a new career focus: “I want to be a doctor now.” 

After a challenging year, Raevyn is back in Ithaca as a rising junior. Her go-to place to collaborate with friends and faculty? Hill Center, the building for pre-med and nursing programs.   

"My favorite spots are the actual lab classes. There's always an answer right around the corner." 

Forewords

A collection of introductions to the Ithaca College story—about those who continue to write it.
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Tim Reynolds

Tim Reynolds

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Alexa Chalnick

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Jorge Grossmann

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Antara Sen ’22 and Professor Beth Ellen Clark Joseph

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Lisa Corewyn and Kari Brossard Stoos

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