Today we’d like to introduce you to Ket Harris.
Hi Ket, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
I was born in Shreveport, Louisiana in 1979. My mother was a single parent raising two girls until she took sick shortly after I was born. I was raised by my grandmother until the age of 10. After my grandmother passed, my older sisters had to step in and assist my mother in raising me. My mother has remained sick my whole life but god blessed me with my sisters who are phenomenal role models. They instilled a lot of values in me along my journey. My middle sister was like my guardian, she kept me out of a good bit of trouble along the way. My oldest sister has been an RN for over 20 years; she gave me the push I needed to start my career in nursing and supported me through my journey. At the age of 20, My son was born. Determined not to be a statistic, I enrolled in Grambling State University (GSU) in 2000. I graduated from GSU’s Bachelors in Nursing program with honors- Summa Cum Laude in 2004. After Graduation, I was married to my children’s father with baby number 2 on the way. My daughter was born in 2005. I found myself divorced in 2007, rearing two children alone. It was not an easy journey but definitely a rewarding journey. I worked as an RN for 8 years before returning back to school in 2010. I graduated from Grambling State University in 2012 with a 3.7 GPA and became a Board Certified Family Nurse Practitioner. Shortly after completing my board certification, I relocated to Fort Worth and started my journey serving the communities of DFW. While serving as an Assistant Professor in the Nurse Practitioner Program at The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA), I completed my Doctorate with a concentration in Organizational Leadership and Health Policy in 2017. I later went on to obtain my postgraduate certification and 2nd Board Certification as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, while planning my 2nd wedding in 2021. I have 18 years of experience working in health care and 10 of those years I dedicated to treating and managing clients with Medical and Mental illness.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
It has not been an easy journey. The first nursing school I enrolled in, unfortunately, I encountered discrimination which pushed me to enrolling in Grambling State University. I would drive an hour to and from school every day until I completed the program. The journey did not get easier after completing my first degree, being a single mother of two definitely has its own struggles. After car note, car insurance, utility bills, and a large daycare bill for the both; there were times I only had $60 in the bank to feed us for two weeks at a time. Something inside of me would not just allow me to settle, I had a passion for more out of life. I wanted to make a greater imprint on the world for people that look like me or have met obstacles in life like mine to have someone to look up to and say to themselves I can and I will despite all odds. When I enrolled in the family practice program 2010, I had no idea how I would pay for school. I turned to God and said well God it’s me and you, how are we going to make this happen? I was awarded a scholarship through a grant that sought to increase more African Americans attending school to become Family Nurse Practitioners. Through each degree and accomplishments in life, I am thankful to have both of my sisters, my mother, my spouse and my children to stand behind me and I give God all the glory. GSU’s motto: Where Everybody Is Somebody. To date, Grambling’s motto will always be dear to my heart.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I founded Keturah Health 2017, The Laser Lounge in 2018, and Global Career Institute in 2019. At Keturah Health we provide Holistic Mental Health Service. Services we provide at Keturah Health are psychiatric evaluations, medication management, psychosocial rehabilitation, skills therapy, and traditional counseling services. Not only do we provide mental health care, we connect patients to providers in the community to obtain medical care and specialist care. Global Career Institute is our nonprofit organization. Our mission is to build stronger communities through education. We offer four certification programs. The four certifications are: Medical Assistant, Medical Billing and Coding, Phlebotomy, and Patient Care Technician. We are ongoing seeking corporate sponsors to award scholarships to our students. The Laser Lounge was created to provide med spa services to individuals of all skin types with a focus on treating ethnic skin tones. There in the Lounge, we focus on taking care of oneself to look your best, destress, and recharge.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
Over the next 5-10 years we want to continue servicing the community and become one the leading organizations to provide training and employment opportunities throughout Texas.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.keturahhealth.com, https://globalcareerinstitute.org, https://www.thelaserloungepro.com/
Image Credits
Michelle
