Idaho
Orphaned teenager finds a home in Idaho through nursing programs
POCATELLO — Idaho State University nursing student Priscilla Raburn arrived in the dead of winter wearing just a tank top, shorts and flip flops.
Snow was unfamiliar. Mountain was an idea gleaned from movies. The United States was a foreign country. And she knew nothing about Idaho.
“I wasn’t going to be a statistic,” said Raburn.
After six years in the foster care system, 18-year-old Raburn left St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands for Pocatello. Relocating to Idaho was her friend’s idea. But it was an outlandish idea that reshaped the direction of her life in ways she could only dream of — financial stability, marriage, children and the family she never had.
“I wanted to grow and learn and not be a statistic in the foster care system,” she remembered.
Raburn is one of eight children who was taken away from their mother by the Division of Children and Family Services. She hasn’t seen her mother since that day. Her siblings found homes but she entered the foster care system, which led to an organization called Support our Sisters.
“I met a friend who was in the program and she was from Blackfoot,” Raburn said. “I wanted to leave the island as soon as possible.”
It took her a couple of years, but she finished her GED and then obtained certification as a certified nursing assistant from ISU, her profession for the past 12 years.
“I thought I would be a failure like my mom,” she said.
That academic momentum led Raburn to ISU’s practical nursing degree within the College of Technology. She will graduate in July. The yearlong program is designed to prepare graduates to take the practical nurse licensing exam and establish a career as a licensed practical nurse.
“I learned that I am actually smart and capable of being a registered nurse,” she said.
Now 37, Raburn has two children with her husband, Korey. And they are in the process of taking legal guardianship of two young cousins.
Because she wants to be available for her children, she’s taking baby steps toward her ultimate goal of becoming a registered nurse.
“With this program as a stepping stone, I know that I can do it,” she said. “I gained that feeling through my husband and my instructors at school.”
All those years ago, her main objective was to get off the island and improve herself — mission accomplished. But she hasn’t seen a beach in nearly 20 years, and she misses the sand and ocean.
“I really do,” she said.
Skijor Boise will be one of the stops on a new professional skijoring tour. The action-packed event will happen at the Ford Idaho Center on Feb. 6th and 7th.
The Nampa event will be one of seven stops for the new Frontier Tour in the Rocky Mountain region, with another being in eastern Idaho in Driggs. Local competitors McKinley Keener and Caroline Potter look forward to competing.
WATCH: See skijoring in action and more from McKinley and Caroline
Pro Skijor debuts new tour and this extreme winter sport will stop in the Treasure Valley
“We are really excited to have a hometown race,” said Keener. “I think it was smart to bring a race to the Treasure Valley with the horse culture and the ski culture. I think it is a win-win idea.”
Skijoring is a unique sport that is gaining traction in the West. During the event, a horseback rider pulls a skier on a rope, and that skier has to navigate gates, jumps and grab rings. The horseback rider also has to grab a ring, depending on the venue.
RELATED | Extreme skijoring brings two different cultures together in the Wood River Valley
We first met McKinley and Caroline last winter during the Wood River Valley skijoring competition. They won the couple’s division and finished second and third in the novice division.
“We won this buckle and the vest I’m wearing at the Wood River race,” said Potter. “It’s a fantastic race, the people who put it on are wonderful. That race will always be special to McKinley and I because we met there.”
The couple met two years ago at the competition, and this past summer, they got engaged.
“I’ve been riding since I was in grade school, and he’s been skiing since he was really young,” said Potter. “We both let each other do our thing, and as a team we really do well.”
Their story showcases how unique skijoring is, bringing together both the equine and skiing communities.
“Skijoring is the craziest and funnest sport in my opinion,” said Keener. “I just love it, it is a rush. The people are fantastic, and it is like nothing else I have ever done,” said Potter.
This duo looks forward to competing in their own backyard, as it will allow friends and family to watch them in action. Skijor Boise will happen at the beginning of February, and the Wood River event will follow it in mid-February.
“We hope everyone can come out and watch,” said Potter. “It is a wonderful time, there is never a dull moment at a skijor race. I highly recommend it to come out and maybe even try it.”
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