Adversity is something some people can't overcome. I was blessed to be able to go through tough times in my life and find a way to cope and get through it. Since I was a young child, I have been through so much from being abused to being left by both parents and ending up in foster care to finding the love and compassion to forgive my parents for the tough childhood I had and then to losing both of them in such a way and as quickly as I would not have never thought and going through the grieving process when It could have been prevented if they would have just gone to the doctor to get checked out in time. I have fought to do good with my life and finish high school when it was very tough to concentrate and feel comfortable in a foster home that was far from that. I have always had a passion for helping others starting as a nursing home volunteer because I wanted to help others when I was 17 years old and also be able to escape my current life problems. I saw that the residents in the home needed someone for various reasons. I tried to help in various ways but I couldn't because I was not certified so, guess what I did? I went to school for CNA. That started my long career in Long-Term care. I went on to do many different things within that setting such as being a CNA, an activity aide, and an activity director, and then I got more educated on Alzheimer’s Disease which I became a Certified Dementia Practitioner and a Memory Care Director to be closer and spend more time with those struggling day by day with things they used to do regularly every day and also to be there for their families to educate and also comfort them on the journey their loved one is taking so they can still enjoy every moment with them. I’ve had so many of my resident’s families tell me that I was born to do this which was appreciated. I do not do this for recognition, but because I love to do it. I have also been told that I have a big heart because I enjoy helping others and being there as a resource and support for them. Now I understand why I was told that I have an “old soul” because I see now that I do and can relate to everyone I encounter, old and young. Now I want to expand my heart bigger to be able to assist everyone I can in any way I can and being a Medical Assistant will allow me to do that by continuing to be a resource to patients when they come into the office and support them before, during and after they see the doctor. Also, to assist them with all the things I am currently learning in the Medical Assisting program now and the things I continue to learn as I complete the program. I am very excited to be able to be there for all ages and walks of life and I believe that I will make a difference in making them feel comfortable and relaxed in hopes that the patient will have the best possible experience during their visit and get the care they need which I wished my parents would have done if they had someone to make them comfortable enough to go.

I started as a nursing home volunteer because I wanted to help others. I went in not knowing what I was getting myself into as I have not been in this type of setting before. I was 17 years old. When most teenagers my age were hanging out and partying, I wanted to be around my elders. My family used to tell me often that I had an “old soul” which I did not know what that meant at that time. I thought they were making fun of me because I always enjoyed being around others older than me. I was a young woman who enjoyed bingo, singing old tunes, and trivia. I went into this home, and I was at first a little intimidated by what I saw. It was just as I was told, it was smelly, and the residents were just sitting around. Now as most people will do, they will turn around and never come back but that just made me want to be there even more because I saw that they needed someone for various reasons. And as I got to be there regularly, I tried assisting them with everything that they needed including bathroom visits. But due to not being certified, I was told that I could not help them in that way when they were yelling for help. So I asked what could I do to be able to help the residents who needs it and I was told that I had to be a CNA and be certified for it. So, guess what I did? I went to school for CNA. That started my long career in Long-Term care. I went on to do many things within that setting such as being a CNA, an activity aide, and an activity director, and then I got more educated on Alzheimer’s Disease which I became a Certified Dementia Practitioner and a Memory Care Director to be closer and spend more time with those struggling day by day with things they used to do regularly every day. I worked to assist and support them and their families through the difficult disease process and I was also able to educate them on what to look for and what to expect as the disease progresses. I’ve had so many of my resident’s families tell me that I was born to do this which was appreciated. I do not do this for recognition, but because I love to do it. I also been told that I have a big heart because I enjoy helping others and being there as a resource and support for them. Now I understand why I was told that I have an “old soul” because I do and I was able to relate to everyone I encountered, old and young. Now I want to expand my heart bigger to be able to assist everyone I can in any way I can and being a Medical Assistant will allow me to do that by continuing to be a resource to patients when they come into the office and support them before, during and after they see the doctor. Also, to assist them with all the things I am currently learning in the Medical Assisting program now and the things I continue to learn as I complete the program. I am very excited to be able to be there for all ages and walks of life and I believe that I will make a difference in making them feel comfortable and relaxed in hopes that the patient will have the best possible experience during their visit.

I started as a nursing home volunteer because I wanted to help others. I went in not knowing what I was getting myself into as I have not been in this type of setting before. I was 17 years old. When most teenagers my age were hanging out and partying, I wanted to be around my elders. My family used to tell me often that I had an “old soul” which I did not know what that meant at that time. I thought they were making fun of me because I always enjoyed being around others older than me. I was a young woman who enjoyed bingo, singing old tunes, and trivia. I went into this home, and I was at first a little intimidated by what I saw. It was just as I was told, it was smelly, and the residents were just sitting around. Now as most people will do, they will turn around and never come back but that just made me want to be there even more because I saw that they needed someone for various reasons. And as I got to be there regularly, I tried assisting them with everything that they needed including bathroom visits. But due to not being certified, I was told that I could not help them in that way when they were yelling for help. So I asked what could I do to be able to help the residents who needs it and I was told that I had to be a CNA and be certified for it. So, guess what I did? I went to school for CNA. That started my long career in Long-Term care. I went on to do many things within that setting such as being a CNA, an activity aide, and an activity director, and then I got more educated on Alzheimer’s Disease which I became a Certified Dementia Practitioner and a Memory Care Director to be closer and spend more time with those struggling day by day with things they used to do regularly every day. I worked to assist and support them and their families through the difficult disease process and I was also able to educate them on what to look for and what to expect as the disease progresses. I’ve had so many of my resident’s families tell me that I was born to do this which was appreciated. I do not do this for recognition, but because I love to do it. I also been told that I have a big heart because I enjoy helping others and being there as a resource and support for them. Now I understand why I was told that I have an “old soul” because I do and I was able to relate to everyone I encountered, old and young. Now I want to expand my heart bigger to be able to assist everyone I can in any way I can and being a Medical Assistant will allow me to do that by continuing to be a resource to patients when they come into the office and support them before, during and after they see the doctor. Also, to assist them with all the things I am currently learning in the Medical Assisting program now and the things I continue to learn as I complete the program. I am very excited to be able to be there for all ages and walks of life and I believe that I will make a difference in making them feel comfortable and relaxed in hopes that the patient will have the best possible experience during their visit.

Mental health has impacted me in so many ways. My experience with it started a long time ago when I did not quite understand what it was. I worked with the elderly who had mental illness along with Dementia/Alzheimer’s Disease and at times you could not decipher between the two however, taking the time to learn more about what they were going through also helped me with a future encounter. My first encounter was when I was A volunteer with an elderly man who was not very nice to anyone. He was alone and not very personable. All the staff was intimidated and scared of him and did not want to care for him. He was grumpy and confused so he was not easy to get along with. Me, I love to be around individuals like that because I always knew that people do not act like that for no reason and there was a reason why he was so unlikeable, and I wanted to find out why. When I first introduced myself to him, he yelled at me and called me a name, but I just smiled and said “I just wanted to come and introduce myself to you and say good morning” and of course, he grumbled and told me to get out. I came back day after day and said the same thing and of course, he continued to not be nice to me but always with a smile, I said good morning and I checked on him throughout the day to ensure he did not need anything. I got more information from the staff and found out some interesting things about him like what his hobbies were and his lifestyle and even his diagnosis. I went to do some research on his diagnosis and found out about what it was and how to handle it and what to do to help someone living with Depression and Paranoid Schizophrenia which came after his tour in the armed forces. This became my motivation to help him and truly understand why he was like he was and that it was not his fault that he was like this. So, I gathered things from his past hobbies and went to him with another smile but this time it was different. I was able to approach him in another way to make me less of a threat to him and for him to feel that I am there only for good and not to do him any harm. Guess what? It worked. All the information I got from my research was so helpful and he was now accepting of my presence around him. Years later, I have a nephew who is going through the same thing without the armed forces experience however, he is only 26 years old and still has a lot of life to live and now he is living with the challenge of handling his emotions and now the “voices” he hears that tell him things. With my experience of years of working with individuals with mental illness, I can help him through some tough times. He calls me when he is having a difficult time focusing and the voices are too much for him. And I will sit on the phone and talk with him until he feels better. He has called me at different times, and I am always there for him. He had a difficult time with the doctors and his experience with some of the medical staff has made me want to get more into helping others while they are at the office for a visit. My many experiences with mental illness make me want to be there for anyone who needs it. And make them feel comfortable going to the doctor for a visit.

To be able to make others feel comfortable and confident in coming to get checked out by the doctor in an office setting hopefully, to save more lives in the African American community by seeing a friendly, caring face and attitude.

I have been working in the medical field for over 24 years. I started when I was 17 years old. When most teenagers my age were hanging out and partying, I wanted to be around my elders. My family used to tell me often that I had an “old soul” which I did not know what that meant at that time. I thought they were making fun of me because I always enjoyed being around others older than me. I was a young woman who enjoyed bingo, singing old tunes, and trivia. I went into this home, and I was at first a little intimidated by what I saw. It was just as I was told, it was smelly, and the residents were just sitting around. Now as most people will do, they will turn around and never come back but that just made me want to be there even more because I saw that they needed someone for various reasons. And as I got to be there regularly, I tried assisting them with everything that they needed including bathroom visits. But due to not being certified, I was told that I could not help them in that way when they were yelling for help. So I asked what could I do to be able to help the residents who needs it and I was told that I had to be a CNA and be certified for it. So, guess what I did? I went to school for CNA, go figure. That started my long career in Long-Term care. I went on to do many things within the Long-Term care setting in addition to being a CNA, I also worked as an activity aide, and activity director, and then I got more educated on Alzheimer’s Disease which I became a Certified Dementia Practitioner and a Memory Care Director to be closer and spend more time with those struggling day by day with things they used to do regularly every day. I worked to assist and support them and their families through the difficult disease process and I was also able to educate them on what to look for and what to expect as the disease progresses. I’ve had so many of my resident’s families tell me that I was born to do this which is really appreciated. I do not do this for recognition, but because I love to do it. I have always been told that I have such a big heart because I enjoy helping others and being there as a resource and support for them. Now I understand why I was told that I have an “old soul” because I do and I was able to relate to everyone I encountered, old and young. Now I want to expand my heart bigger to be able to assist everyone I can in any way I can and being a Medical Assistant will allow me to do that by continuing to be a resource to patients when they come into the office and support them before, during and after they see the doctor. Also, to assist them with all the things I am currently learning in the Medical Assisting program now and the things I continue to learn as I complete the program. I am very excited to be able to be there for all ages and walks of life and I believe that I will make a difference in making them feel comfortable and relaxed in hopes that the patient will have the best possible experience during their visit.

I started as a nursing home volunteer because I wanted to help others. I went in not knowing what I was getting myself into as I have not been in this type of setting before. I was 17 years old. When most teenagers my age were hanging out and partying, I wanted to be around my elders. My family used to tell me often that I had an “old soul” which I did not know what that meant at that time. I thought they were making fun of me because I always enjoyed being around others older than me. I was a young woman who enjoyed bingo, singing old tunes, and trivia. I went into this home, and I was at first a little intimidated by what I saw. It was just as I was told, it was smelly, and the residents were just sitting around. Now as most people will do, they will turn around and never come back but that just made me want to be there even more because I saw that they needed someone for various reasons. And as I got to be there regularly, I tried assisting them with everything that they needed including bathroom visits. But due to not being certified, I was told that I could not help them in that way when they were yelling for help. So I asked what could I do to be able to help the residents who needs it and I was told that I had to be a CNA and be certified for it. So, guess what I did? I went to school for CNA. That started my long career in Long-Term care. I went on to do many things within that setting such as being a CNA, an activity aide, and an activity director, and then I got more educated on Alzheimer’s Disease which I became a Certified Dementia Practitioner and a Memory Care Director to be closer and spend more time with those struggling day by day with things they used to do regularly every day. I worked to assist and support them and their families through the difficult disease process and I was also able to educate them on what to look for and what to expect as the disease progresses. I’ve had so many of my resident’s families tell me that I was born to do this which was appreciated. I do not do this for recognition, but because I love to do it. I also been told that I have a big heart because I enjoy helping others and being there as a resource and support for them. Now I understand why I was told that I have an “old soul” because I do and I was able to relate to everyone I encountered, old and young. Now I want to expand my heart bigger to be able to assist everyone I can in any way I can and being a Medical Assistant will allow me to do that by continuing to be a resource to patients when they come into the office and support them before, during and after they see the doctor. Also, to assist them with all the things I am currently learning in the Medical Assisting program now and the things I continue to learn as I complete the program. I am very excited to be able to be there for all ages and walks of life and I believe that I will make a difference in making them feel comfortable and relaxed in hopes that the patient will have the best possible experience during their visit.

I lost my father in 2017 to emphysema and COPD. He did not like to go to doctors because he stated that they do not listen to him, and he said that he always had a bad experience at the doctor’s office where the staff was rude and dismissive. He did not go to the doctor, he went to the hospital instead and had to wait long hours to see someone just to get the attention he needed. He told me before that I should have worked at his doctor’s office and he would have gone when he needed to by my interaction with others that he saw. Unfortunately, I did not work there and he waited too late to seek medical attention and when he did, it was too late. Now I wished I had worked there. I lost my mother to ovarian cancer, and just like my father she too did not like doctor’s visits and almost for the same reason. I have never seen my mom complain of pain and never seen her to the point of tears and immobility due to her pain. At that point, we knew something was wrong. At that time is when we found out that her cancer was stage 4 and already spread. This was May 28th, 2020. We were told that there was nothing else that could be done because it was so far progressed and she went under hospice care on June 1st until she passed July 12th. To this day it still puzzles me if she knew because she never liked to go to the doctor. I wish I could have worked at her doctor’s office too, I could have helped her with the anxiety she had going to the doctor. Both my mom and dad impacted my educational journey and that is why I chose to pursue a career as a Medical Assistant. I have always been told that I have such a big heart because I enjoy helping others and being there as a resource and support for them. Now I want to expand my heart bigger to be able to assist the community in any way I can and being a Medical Assistant will allow me to do that by continuing to be a resource to patients when they come into the office and support them before they meet with the doctor when they are with the doctor after they see the doctor, and comforting them through blood draws, injections, and/or medical tests/procedures. Also, to assist them with all the things I am currently learning in the Medical Assisting program now and the things I continue to learn as I complete the program in addition to my personal and professional experience and knowledge of Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease and working with the older and younger population. I am very excited to be able to be there for all ages and walks of life and I believe that I will make a difference in making them feel comfortable and relaxed and to trust that I’m there for them, to listen to them, and acknowledge their concerns in hopes that the patient will have the best possible experience during their visit and want to come back. I would appreciate being considered for this scholarship and believe I will be a great candidate because I have so much to offer to the patients as I am passionate and dedicated to this work and I enjoy working with others.

I lost my father in 2017 to emphysema and COPD. He did not like to go to doctors because he said that they do not listen to him, and he used to say that he always had a bad experience at the doctor’s office where the staff was rude and dismissive. He went to the hospital instead and had to wait long hours to see someone just to get the attention he needed. He told me before that I should've worked at his doctor’s office and he would've gone when he needed to by my interaction with others that he saw. Unfortunately, I did not work there and he waited too late to seek medical attention and when he did, it was too late. Now I wished I had worked there. I then lost my mother to ovarian cancer a few years later in 2020. And just like my father, she did not like doctor’s visits for the same reason. I have never seen my mom complain of pain and never seen her to the point of tears and immobility due to her pain. So, when it came to that point, we knew something was wrong. We rushed her to the hospital and that is when we found out that her cancer was stage 4 and already spread. We were told that there was nothing else that could be done because it was so far progressed and she went under hospice care on June 1st, and my siblings and I took care of her at home and made her feel comfortable until she passed July 12th, 2020. To this day it still puzzles me if she knew because she never liked to go to the doctor and always said she going to go but didn’t. I wish I could have worked at her doctor’s office too I could have helped her with the anxiety she had going to the doctor. I have always been told that I have such a big heart because I enjoy helping others and being there as a resource and support for them. Now I want to expand my heart bigger to be able to assist everyone I can in any way I can and being a Medical Assistant will allow me to do that by continuing to be a resource to patients when they come into the office and support them before they meet with the doctor when they are with the doctor after they see the doctor, and comforting them through blood draws, injections, and/or medical tests/procedures. Also, for me to assist them with all the things I am currently learning in the Medical Assisting program and the things I continue to learn in addition to my personal and professional experience and knowledge working with the older and younger population. I believe that I will make a difference in making them feel comfortable and relaxed and trust that I’m there for them, to listen to them, and acknowledge their concerns in hopes that the patient will have the best possible experience during their visit and want to come back. I have so much to offer to the patients as I am a very easy person to get along with and love to work as a team. I am extremely passionate about helping others in any way I can, and I always give everything I have. I will be honored and will work diligently to be a part of a successful office.

I decided to pursue a trade within the Medical assisting program due to losing my father in 2017 to emphysema and COPD. He did not like to go to doctors because he said that they do not listen to him, and he used to say that he always had a bad experience at the doctor’s office where the staff was rude and dismissive. He went to the hospital instead and had to wait long hours to see someone just to get the attention he needed. He told me before that I should've worked at his doctor’s office and he would've gone when he needed to by my interaction with others that he saw. Unfortunately, I did not work there and he waited too late to seek medical attention and when he did, it was too late. Now I wished I had worked there. I then lost my mother to ovarian cancer a few years later in 2020. And just like my father, she did not like doctor’s visits for the same reason. I have never seen my mom complain of pain and never seen her to the point of tears and immobility due to her pain. So, when it came to that point, we knew something was wrong. We rushed her to the hospital and that is when we found out that her cancer was stage 4 and already spread. We were told that there was nothing else that could be done because it was so far progressed and she went under hospice care on June 1st, and my siblings and I took care of her at home and made her feel comfortable until she passed July 12th, 2020. To this day it still puzzles me if she knew because she never liked to go to the doctor and always said she going to go but didn’t. I wish I could have worked at her doctor’s office too I could have helped her with the anxiety she had going to the doctor. I have always been told that I have such a big heart because I enjoy helping others and being there as a resource and support for them. Now I want to expand my heart bigger to be able to assist everyone I can in any way I can and being a Medical Assistant will allow me to do that by continuing to be a resource to patients when they come into the office and support them before they meet with the doctor when they are with the doctor after they see the doctor, and comforting them through blood draws, injections, and/or medical tests/procedures. Also, for me to assist them with all the things I am currently learning in the Medical Assisting program and the things I continue to learn in addition to my personal and professional experience and knowledge working with the older and younger population. I believe that I will make a difference in making them feel comfortable and relaxed and trust that I’m there for them, to listen to them, and acknowledge their concerns in hopes that the patient will have the best possible experience during their visit and want to come back. I have so much to offer to the patients as I am a very easy person to get along with and love to work as a team. I am extremely passionate about helping others in any way I can, and I always give everything I have. I will be honored and will work diligently to be a part of a successful office.

I have been working in the medical field for over 24 years. I started as a nursing home volunteer because I wanted to help others. I went in not knowing what I was getting myself into as I have not been in this type of setting before. This was in 1996 and I was 17 years old. When most teenagers my age were hanging out and partying, I wanted to be around my elders. My family used to tell me often that I had an “old soul” which I did not know what that meant at that time. I thought they were making fun of me because I always enjoyed being around others older than me. I was a young woman who enjoyed bingo, singing old tunes, and trivia. I went into this home, and I was at first a little intimidated by what I saw. It was just as I was told, it was smelly, and the residents were just sitting around. Now as most people will do, they will turn around and never come back but that just made me want to be there even more because I saw that they needed someone for various reasons. And as I got to be there regularly, I tried assisting them with everything that they needed including bathroom visits. But due to not being certified, I was told that I could not help them in that way when they were yelling for help. So I asked what could I do to be able to help the residents who needs it and I was told that I had to be a CNA and be certified for it. So, guess what I did? I went to school for CNA, go figure. That started my long career in Long-Term care. I went on to do many things within the Long-Term care setting in addition to being a CNA, I also worked as an activity aide, and activity director and then I got more educated on Alzheimer’s Disease which I became a Certified Dementia Practitioner to be closer and spend more time with those struggling day by day with things they used to do regularly every day. I worked to assist and support them and their families through the difficult disease process and I was also able to educate them on what to look for and what to expect as the disease progresses. I have always been told that I have such a big heart because I enjoy helping others and being there as a resource and support for them. Now I understand why I was told that I have an “old soul” because I do and I was able to relate to everyone I encountered, old and young. Now I want to expand my heart bigger to be able to assist everyone I can in any way I can and being a Medical Assistant will allow me to do that by continuing to be a resource to patients when they come into the office and support them before, during and after they see the doctor. Also, to assist them with all the things I am currently learning in the Medical Assisting program now and the things I continue to learn as I complete the program. I am very excited to be able to be there for all ages and walks of life and I believe that I will make a difference in making them feel comfortable and relaxed in hopes that the patient will have the best possible experience during their visit. Thank You

I lost my father in 2017 to emphysema and COPD. He did not like to go to doctors because he said that they do not listen to him, and he used to say that he always had a bad experience at the doctor’s office where the staff was rude and dismissive. He went to the hospital instead and had to wait long hours to see someone just to get the attention he needed. He told me before that I should've worked at his doctor’s office and he would've gone when he needed to by my interaction with others that he saw. Unfortunately, I did not work there and he waited too late to seek medical attention and when he did, it was too late. Now I wished I had worked there. I then lost my mother to ovarian cancer a few years later in 2020. And just like my father, she did not like doctor’s visits for the same reason. I have never seen my mom complain of pain and never seen her to the point of tears and immobility due to her pain. So, when it came to that point, we knew something was wrong. We rushed her to the hospital and that is when we found out that her cancer was stage 4 and already spread. We were told that there was nothing else that could be done because it was so far progressed and she went under hospice care on June 1st, and my siblings and I took care of her at home and made her feel comfortable until she passed July 12th, 2020. To this day it still puzzles me if she knew because she never liked to go to the doctor and always said she going to go but didn’t. I wish I could have worked at her doctor’s office too I could have helped her with the anxiety she had going to the doctor. I have always been told that I have such a big heart because I enjoy helping others and being there as a resource and support for them. Now I want to expand my heart bigger to be able to assist everyone I can in any way I can and being a Medical Assistant will allow me to do that by continuing to be a resource to patients when they come into the office and support them before they meet with the doctor when they are with the doctor after they see the doctor, and comforting them through blood draws, injections, and/or medical tests/procedures. Also, for me to assist them with all the things I am currently learning in the Medical Assisting program and the things I continue to learn in addition to my personal and professional experience and knowledge working with the older and younger population. I believe that I will make a difference in making them feel comfortable and relaxed and trust that I’m there for them, to listen to them, and acknowledge their concerns in hopes that the patient will have the best possible experience during their visit and want to come back. I have so much to offer to the patients as I am a very easy person to get along with and love to work as a team. I am extremely passionate about helping others in any way I can, and I always give everything I have. I will be honored and will work diligently to be a part of a successful office.

I lost my father in 2017 to emphysema and COPD. He did not like to go to doctors because he said that they do not listen to him, and he used to say that he always had a bad experience at the doctor’s office where the staff was rude and dismissive. He went to the hospital instead and had to wait long hours to see someone just to get the attention he needed. He told me before that I should've worked at his doctor’s office and he would've gone when he needed to by my interaction with others that he saw. Unfortunately, I did not work there and he waited too late to seek medical attention and when he did, it was too late. Now I wished I had worked there. I then lost my mother to ovarian cancer a few years later in 2020. And just like my father, she did not like doctor’s visits for the same reason. I have never seen my mom complain of pain and never seen her to the point of tears and immobility due to her pain. So, when it came to that point, we knew something was wrong. We rushed her to the hospital and that is when we found out that her cancer was stage 4 and already spread. We were told that there was nothing else that could be done because it was so far progressed and she went under hospice care on June 1st, and my siblings and I took care of her at home and made her feel comfortable until she passed July 12th, 2020. To this day it still puzzles me if she knew because she never liked to go to the doctor and always said she going to go but didn’t. I wish I could have worked at her doctor’s office too I could have helped her with the anxiety she had going to the doctor. I have always been told that I have such a big heart because I enjoy helping others and being there as a resource and support for them. Now I want to expand my heart bigger to be able to assist everyone I can in any way I can and being a Medical Assistant will allow me to do that by continuing to be a resource to patients when they come into the office and support them before they meet with the doctor when they are with the doctor after they see the doctor, and comforting them through blood draws, injections, and/or medical tests/procedures. Also, for me to assist them with all the things I am currently learning in the Medical Assisting program and the things I continue to learn in addition to my personal and professional experience and knowledge working with the older and younger population. I believe that I will make a difference in making them feel comfortable and relaxed and trust that I’m there for them, to listen to them, and acknowledge their concerns in hopes that the patient will have the best possible experience during their visit and want to come back. I have so much to offer to the patients as I am a very easy person to get along with and love to work as a team. I am extremely passionate about helping others in any way I can, and I always give everything I have. I will be honored and will work diligently to be a part of a successful office.

I have been working in the medical field for over 24 years. I started as a nursing home volunteer because I wanted to help others. I went in not knowing what I was getting myself into as I have not been in this type of setting before. This was in 1996 and I was 17 years old. When most teenagers my age were hanging out and partying, I wanted to be around my elders. My family used to tell me often that I had an “old soul” which I did not know what that meant at that time. I thought they were making fun of me because I always enjoyed being around others older than me. I was a young woman who enjoyed bingo, singing old tunes, and trivia. I went into this home, and I was at first a little intimidated by what I saw. It was just as I was told, it was smelly, and the residents were just sitting around. Now as most people will do, they will turn around and never come back but that just made me want to be there even more because I saw that they needed someone for various reasons. And as I got to be there on a regular basis, I tried assisting them with everything that they needed including bathroom visits. But due to not being certified, I was told that I could not help them in that way when they were yelling for help. So I asked what could I do to be able to help the residents who needs it and I was told that I had to be a CNA and be certified for it. So, guess what I did? I went to school for CNA, go figure. That started my long career in Long-Term care. I went on to do many things within the Long-Term care setting in addition to being a CNA, I also worked as an activity aide, activity director and then I got more educated on Alzheimer’s Disease which I became a Certified Dementia Practitioner to be closer and spend more time with those struggling day by day with things they used to do regularly every day. I worked to assist and support them and their families through the difficult disease process and I was also able to educate them on what to look for and what to expect as the disease progresses. I have always been told that I have such a big heart because I enjoy helping others and being there as a resource and support for them. Now I understand why I was told that I have an “old soul” because I do and I was able to relate to everyone I encountered, old and young. Now I want to expand my heart bigger to be able to assist everyone I can in any way I can and being a Medical Assistant will allow me to do that by continuing to be a resource to patients when they come into the office and support them before they meet with the doctor when they are with the doctor and after they see the doctor. Also to assist them with all the things I am currently learning in the Medical Assisting program now and the things I continue to learn as I complete the program. I believe that I will make a difference in making them feel comfortable and relaxed in hopes that the patient will have the best possible experience during their visit. Thank You