My Story
Hey Y'all! I'm Chris Gilbert and I'm running for the North Carolina House of Representatives 84th district here in Iredell County.
About me - I'm native to Iredell and Rowan counties and a proud graduate of the public school system. The first in my immediate family to do so.
After the events of 9/11, as a Junior at West Rowan High School - I enlisted in the United States Air Force. I seen this as an opportunity to serve my country while seeking economic stability and an opportunity for a better life.
My original plans were to serve 20 years in the Air Force and retire. Unfortunately, my time of service was during the "Don't ask, Don't tell" era in the military and that plan fell through. As a LGBTQIA+ person I was the recipient of constant bullying which eventually lead to a suicide attempt(s) which I survived, but it ended my career in the military.
After returning home I was heart broken and unsure of what I was now going to do with the rest of my life, I had no back up plan. All I could think about is how I wish I could help other people before they felt the way I did. It was unknown at the time that I would have a diagnosis of Complex Post Traumatic Disorder.
I enrolled at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College for my nursing assistant certification and after working awhile decided I enjoyed the work and returned to RCCC for the nursing assistant level II certification.
After working a year I decided to return to technical college and obtain my licensed practical nursing diploma while working 36 hours as a nursing assistant on the weekend. The only reason I could afford college is because of the GI Bill. I graduated with my LPN diploma in 2010 from ECPI-Charlotte. As a new nurse, I was finally able to work in behavioral health helping others who have been through similar struggles as me, my passion.
In 2012, I returned to college full time while working full time on night shift and taking care of my Dad in hospice. In 2014 I graduated from ITT-Nursing with a ASN- Registered Nurse. Shortly after in February 2015, I lost my Dad. I continued working in behavioral health and corrections nursing as a travel nurse the remainder of my nursing career.
During the pandemic as a nurse, myself and peers seen the extreme corruption of hospitals. Putting profits over patients and staff safety. I attended the National Nurses March in Washington D.C. May 12th, 2022. Since then, I've been active in making meaningful, inclusive, and positive change right here in N.C. 84.
