By Eve Barnofsky
PLATTSBURGH N.Y. - Jennifer Kanaly has experienced more in life than most. At a young age
she left college to travel the country, she became a single mom, and is now a nurse practitioner.
A mother of three, Kanaly didn't always think her life would turn out this way, but she couldn’t
be happier.
Kanaly, a Plattsburgh native, began her college career at SUNY Plattsburgh. She had
received a full four-year scholarship due to her academic excellence in high school, and was
planning to pursue a law degree. She majored in political science; however, Kanaly decided that
she did not like it.
She left school and decided to travel the country.
At the age of twenty, Kanaly became pregnant with her daughter, Sage Lewandowski,
and moved to Western, Mass.
“It’s interesting being a mom. Me and Sage kind of grew up together.” Kanaly said.
Her oldest daughter Sage knows hard her mother has worked to give her a good life.
Since it was just the two of them at both a young age they have a bond most mothers and
daughters don’t have.
“My mom is a woman of incredible strength. From the first years of her life to the present
day, she has always pushed herself and worked hard to become the successful person she is
today.” Said Lewandowski.
Needing a job to support her family, she went to a temporary agency and got an interview
at a hospital to transport radiology patients from in-patient care to the X-ray department.
“As I was picking up patients around the hospital I would see nurse aids and thought I
could do that.” Kanaly said.
That’s just what she did. Kanaly took a nurse aids class and soon after that Sage was
born and they moved back to Plattsburgh. She would then go on to pursue two bachelor degree
and two master degrees.
“Nursing kind of found me in a way. I never intended to be a nurse but it was a
marketable job and I wanted to provide a good life for my girl.” Kanaly said.
Kanaly has always valued education. She came back to SUNY Plattsburgh and pursued a
double bachelor degree in nursing and psychology. She also pursued a master in nursing
education online and got her last masters at Albany Med in Troy. She also taught for them for
their undergraduate nursing program.
“I knew I wasn't going to be using my teaching degree a lot, but I thought to myself if I
am ever going to use it, I am going to do it now.” Kanaly said.
Lewandowski has seen what her mother has done for her education and to provide for her
family and couldn’t be more proud.
“I don’t know anyone who has worked as tirelessly as my mother has. She never once
complains or asks for anything in return” said Lewandowski.
Allie Lyle, a family friend and currently a nursing major at SUNY Plattsburgh, feels
Kanaly is a role model.
“Since I want to be a nurse, she makes me feel like that's possible. When I am feeling
down about grades or the hard school work, she is my inspiration to keep moving forward.” said
Lyle
Kanaly is now a psychiatric nurse at Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital. She has
worked there for 17 years.
“I love being a psych nurse because we all at any point can have mental health issues,”
said Kanaly, “it is a misunderstand population and an undeserved population but some of the
nicest people I have ever meet.”
Being a psychiatric nurse she feels it has real made her a better person and it is where
she's supposed to be.
“You have to figure out yourself before you figure out someone else.” said Kanaly.
Going from being an ICU nurse to a psychiatric nurse, she has noticed the stigma around
mental health, however, she feels that it is coming into the spotlight more and now people want
to start to help those people.
Kanaly has come from a rough background, having had an abusive mother, she was
unsure if she was going to be a good mom at first.
“My family, to me, is my world. I knew that whatever my mom did I wanted to do the
opposite.” Kanaly said.
Her youngest daughter, Hannah Kanaly, feels that she is a great mom.
“She’s a pretty cool lady. She's done a lot for us and I appreciate it. Especially where
she's coming from, she's been an excellent role model and I’m very thankful.” said Hannah
Kanaly.
Now married to her husband Sean Kanaly, they have three kids, Sage, Ryan and Hannah.
She and her husband meet at SUNY Plattsburgh while perusing their degrees.
Mr. Kanaly is a teacher at a local high school in Saranac.
“He’s great to me. I wouldn't be able to do any of the stuff that I’ve done. All the stuff
that I told you about I wouldn’t be able to do that without him.” said Kanaly.
They’re simple people Kanaly feels. She rides horses with her daughter, they have two
dogs and two cats and she just likes to spend time with her family outdoors.
“I used to drag Sage up mountains wearing one of those front packs. She had been to top
of mountains before she was born.” said Kanaly.
Lewandowski and Kanaly are one in the same. Being in a room with them you can see
not only are they mother and daughter but best friends.
“My mother, is a force of nature. Her dedication and light will always be felt in the world
around her.” Said Lewandowski.
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