Former Australian gym teacher lands in Green Bay in pursuit of nursing career
Interview with Matt Green
BSN 15-Month, Class of 2018
From a young age, Matt Green’s dream job was to work in physical education. That dream came from a life of surfing on the shores of Western Australia and a passion for fitness. Over the years, Green’s direction changed. His mother was a nurse, and his wife is currently a travel nurse. Being surrounded by nurses most of his life, he turned to a new career path—nursing.
Green landed in Green Bay, Wis. to pursue his new dream of one day becoming a flight nurse. He met his wife, Lindsey, through friends at a church they both went to in Australia. She grew up in a small town in Michigan called Negaunee. Green moved to Marquette, Mich. from
Australia in August 2012 to be with her and they were married on the shores of Lake Superior that September.
Green enjoyed his career as a gym teacher. He liked interacting with the kids and remains very passionate about sports and exercise. Having a passion for travel and service, he went on several mission trips across the world. While traveling and being exposed to new opportunities, Green continued to think about nursing and how fulfilling it would be to help others.
A friend from Marquette, Mich. is the reason Green chose to enroll in the 15-month nursing program at Bellin College.
“My friend was in the cohort before me and shared how awesome it was,” said Green. “I have been grateful for my decision to attend Bellin College. The faculty is always willing to help. They give you the personalized attention and tools you need to succeed. We get to practice skills in the Health Sciences Resource Center and receive clinical opportunities in a variety of nursing specialties. I have been able to experience pediatric, medical-surgical and cardiac nursing in my clinical placements. The broad range of clinical placements allows us to experience diverse conditions and learn about different nursing jobs.”
Green met a flight nurse and decided that was the direction he wants to take. After graduation, Green plans to move to California to be with his wife. She is an ICU travel nurse and works in various hospitals in Los Angeles. They have lived in California on and off for the past five years. Once Green is there permanently, he plans to apply for training and mentor programs.
“I’d like to get some initial experience, work in an intensive care unit (ICU) and eventually receive certification to become a flight nurse,” said Green.
Green’s most memorable experiences at Bellin College are the simulations. He enjoys playing the role of the patient for his classmates. This past October, Green also had the privilege to travel to Haiti for a mission trip with Friends of Haiti. Like most students who go on this mission trip, Green described it as life-changing.
“I enjoyed the opportunity to work side by side with other American providers, as well as the Haitian doctors. It was eye-opening to see the cultural differences,” said Green.
Green loves to travel and help with service projects. He has also been to Morocco and Indonesia for mission trips and had the opportunity to live in the United Kingdom and Europe for 18 months. Green expressed that he feels blessed to have the opportunity to serve and work with people from other cultures and experience a small portion of the beauty of life through their eyes. While in California during breaks to visit his wife, Green enjoys working with the homeless population in Los Angeles through a service project called Love My City. When he returns, he plans to volunteer in skid row at a needle exchange program that offers wound care. Green is looking forward to going on more mission trips after graduation to use his nursing skills.
