Anita Arnold is one of the hearts of SBVC's nursing program.
Whether they are her patients or her students, Anita Arnold always treats people with the care they deserve.

Arnold, a professor of nursing, was recognized for her dedication and contributions to the field this spring, when she received the Science Achievement Award. "I love nursing and teaching because I get to help people improve their lives," Arnold said, adding, "Life is difficult no matter what way you spin it, and it's nice to be able to help."

Her path to San Bernardino Valley College began at a high school, where she taught biology. Arnold has always been interested in the medical field, and as someone who loves learning and is open to new challenges, she decided to switch careers and go into nursing. For more than a decade, she worked primarily at St. Bernardine Medical Center in the cardiac telemetry unit, before coming to SBVC to focus on teaching.

"I was impressed by the students who came from Valley," Arnold said, and after hearing good things from Yolanda Simental, associate dean of health sciences and director of Nursing, she decided to leave the hospital and enter the classroom as an SBVC instructor. "I love the motivation of nursing students," Arnold said. "They are serious about what they do and are caring people. I've had the honor to meet so many future nurses, and they give me hope for our medical system."

Arnold is also a proponent of the STEM-MESA Program, which provides free tutoring to students. "We have a great deal of information that we require students to learn and it is very difficult to do that on your own," she said. "Learning happens in conversation and with practice and repetition, and tutors provide all that."