Chantel Vazquez joins RAIN

At UND, Chantel Vazquez saw the value of the RAIN program and the impact it has on American Indian students.

For over 30 years, the Recruitment & Retention of American Indians into Nursing (RAIN) program at UND has been guiding and supporting American Indian nursing students. Of the American Indian Registered Nurses in North Dakota, 79% are RAIN graduates. Chantel Vazquez is proud to be counted in that number.

Vazquez recently joined the program as their newest RAIN Student Support Mentor. Her position expands into a new area for RAIN. She will be mentoring students not just in RAIN’s traditional area of nursing, but also students enrolled in Social Work and Nutrition & Dietetics.

RAIN connections

Vazquez is an enrolled member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa. At a young age, her parents strongly encouraged her to focus on education. At the University of North Dakota, Vazquez saw the value of the RAIN program and the impact it has on American Indian students. “The RAIN program was a huge support for me and was one of the main reasons I was able to achieve my BSN,” shares Vazquez.

Vazquez went on to become a Registered Nurse. During her career, she experienced inpatient, outpatient, emergency, and public healthcare in both government and private settings. Her most recent employment was related to mental health and substance abuse. That makes Vazquez a unique fit for guiding students within any of the disciplines offered at the college.

Back to where it started

As she starts to meet with students, Vazquez is already beginning to build a relationship with them. She says that despite the newness of the position, there is “room to blossom and grow.”

Looking back on her time as a RAIN student, she is excited to return to the program as a colleague with many of the same mentors and staff who helped her achieve her own goals. “I love that I get to come back to where it all started for me, and to work with students who are in the same place!”