Student Turns to Rio Salado for Nursing Course
By Mira Radovich, Senior Contributing Writer
Sometimes college isn’t about finding the perfect place to take every class. Sometimes it’s about finding the one class that fits your life.
That’s what Eric Sartori found at Rio Salado College in 2015.
Sartori was working, raising his children and completing his bachelor’s degree in nursing when he needed a chemistry course with a lab. Taking the class at a traditional college would have required in-person attendance.
Rio Salado gave him another option. He enrolled in CHM130 online and completed the course from home.
“What Rio Salado did was allow me to take that class from home rather than totally rearranging my schedule in my home life with my kids,” Sartori said.
It was just one class, but it helped him take another step toward a career he had decided was worth pursuing.
Today, Sartori has been a nurse for 10 years and works at Mayo Clinic.
Finding a New Career
Sartori’s path to nursing wasn’t exactly traditional.
After briefly attending Illinois State University, Sartori eventually completed an 11-week electrical apprenticeship with a Chicago union and went on to become a journeyman electrician.
His work took him from Chicago to Sacramento, but Sartori began to wonder if electrical work was where he wanted to spend his life. For perspective, he volunteered at a doctor’s practice to see what working in healthcare was like.
“I loved it,” he said.
After the family moved to Arizona, Sartori decided nursing was the right fit.
He completed his nursing prerequisites at Glendale Community College (GCC). Because the nursing degree program had a two-year waitlist, Sartori continued working as an electrician, driving all over the Southwest for jobs to help save money.
After completing his Certified Nursing Assistant program, Sartori enrolled in Northern Arizona University’s online nursing degree program. That’s when he needed to fulfill the chemistry lab requirement.
“I could have gone through GCC or one of the local colleges in person, but it just felt like too much,” Sartori said.
He was working. His wife was also working as a nurse. And they had children at home.
“I couldn’t just leave the kids alone to do a chemistry lab,” he said.
One Class That Fit
Sartori enjoyed taking Fundamental Chemistry CHM130 online through Rio Salado College, particularly the opportunity to conduct experiments at home.
“I liked that I could focus on it myself,” he said. “Sometimes when you go to a class on campus, the schedule’s made for you. When you’re doing it at home, you have to be intentional.”
The experience even gave Sartori an opportunity to involve his children in his education.
His daughter was 8 at the time and had her own Magic School Bus chemistry lab. While Sartori worked on his Rio Salado course, she could be nearby.
“I can do a science experiment with my daughter in the room,” he said. “It was fun.”
Sartori took some time away from school after the birth of his second daughter and eventually transferred to Arizona State University to finish his degree in 2021.
Today, Sartori works as a nurse at Mayo Clinic’s main hospital and is focused on keeping patients safe as they move through procedures. His responsibilities include chart reviews, preparing patients for transport and accompanying patients to and from procedures.
But the reason he chose nursing remains at the heart of his work.
“I care about people,” Sartori said. “When someone is sick, I try to make their experience a little more pleasant.”
He aims to bring a calming presence to patients and uses the critical-thinking skills he developed throughout his education and career to support nurses at the bedside.
Looking back, Sartori knows changing careers was a risk worth taking.
“Pipes, wires, switches and lights are cold stuff,” he said. “At the end of the day, I realized I wanted heart stuff. It’s just in my nature.”
His children have watched him make that change and pursue work he cares about.
“I hope that they see it’s OK to follow your heart and that it can bring them to a place where they feel good about the work they do,” he said.
Sartori’s journey took him through several schools, careers and educational paths before he became a nurse. Along the way, Rio Salado provided exactly what he needed at the time: one class that could fit into his life.
“One class can change everything,” Sartori said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s one class or a full program. They’re all stepping stones to reach your goals.”