Change can be difficult, but keeping a positive mindset and having the support of your family can help you overcome that difficulty. No one exemplifies this more than Gena DeMuth. Currently, as director of nursing for Northwest Health - Starke and photographer and journalist for GreatNews.Life, DeMuth understands that sometimes you need to make big life changes for the sake of others.
DeMuth was a boat captain before her job as nursing director and photographer. Around the year 2000, she had her first child, forcing her to make a drastic change. This was happening while the casino boats began to dock.
“I had no college degree and my only option was to sail out and be out on the lake for months at a time,” DeMuth said.
She knew this lifestyle would not fit well for her and her growing family, so when she had her second child in 2002, she knew it was time to change careers.
“I had a baby girl and a little toddler boy, so I didn’t want to leave them,” said DeMuth. “I mentioned to my husband that I always wanted to be a nurse and he told me, ‘Why don’t you? ’That made me think, ‘Oh okay, let’s try that.’”
That small encouragement from her family is what started an almost 15-year career in nursing. Starting a new career from scratch, especially one like nursing, is no easy task, but DeMuth says her love for her family is what got her to where she is today.
“I wouldn’t be where I am today without them. Their support and love are what keeps me going every day. It sounds cheesy, but it’s true,” DeMuth said.
Being a mother of two and having a full career in nursing are not the only things DeMuth tackles in her daily life. She is also an incredibly talented photographer for GreatNews.Life. Her love for her children is what pushed her to pursue photography. Her father-in-law was a photographer, and he gave her a camera. She would use it to take photos of her kids. Eventually, her son went on to play sports at Wheeler High School, pushing her passion for photography even further.
“I started photographing my son in sports, and Wheeler had a Facebook page, so I started posting pictures there. The parents were loving it and it grew from there,” DeMuth said.
After her son graduated, DeMuth missed photographing sports. She noticed that GreatNews.Life would cover the typical sporting events that she was used to with her son, so she began working for them. Gena was attracted to the positivity of GreatNews.Life because she felt it aligned with her as a person.
“At the time, I was working in critical care, and it can get to you after a while. A nursing career, in general, can be hard all around,” said DeMuth. “With GreatNews.Life being a positive news agency, it reminded me that there are amazing people out there doing amazing things every day, and it’s awesome to capture that. This is my stress-reliever job because it’s so fun and positive.”
An immense love for her family and a passion to seek out positivity changed the life of Gena DeMuth. When faced with a challenging career choice, she relied on her family and personal strength to help guide her into her new career.
To see some of Gena’s work at GreatNews.Life, visit the link here.