College is expensive. It is tempting or even the only option to work full-time instead to afford necessities or luxuries. Yet, it’s never too late to return to school, go into a new field and explore a passion.
“If your dreams don’t scare you, they’re not big enough.” A quote which has always stuck with me throughout my life, has really helped me further my education. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life after graduating from Radnor High School in 2007. I went on to a small local college studying to be a physical therapist, with a major of sports medicine. I wanted to help people, that’s all I knew. I began my journey into PT by taking basic biology classes hoping to one day obtain my doctorate.
It was after my first semester of college that I decided I wanted to change my field of study. I switched my major to communication following in many of my friends footsteps. After seeing many of my close friends go to college and begin their journey in the world of multimedia, I was intrigued and wanted to learn more. I took a journalism class, some video and audio courses, and a few theater classes the following year.
I loved all my communication classes. I did excellent in all my classes and loved the professors who instructed me. It wasn’t until late 2010 that I decided to take a break from school and focused on working full time making money. With the lavish lifestyle I saw myself living, I chose money over an education at the time. I worked full time for a year and bought myself everything I ever wanted. A brand new fully loaded luxury convertible which none of my friends had, designer clothes, expensive handbags, even the latest technology that most parents didn’t own. I wanted it all and money came easy working at Hooters. Friends of mine who were older and already working career jobs were making the same salary as I was while waitress.
After having a long talk with my parents one night, I decided to return to school and gain what I wanted in the first place; a career in the medical field. I thought every detail out, figuring I would start out slow and work my way into the field to see what I would be best at. So I started out taking medical assistant classes. My goal was to see if I had any interest in learning about medical terms first before I returned to school for the long run. After graduating in 2011 at the top of my class with amazing grades which I never thought I would earn, I landed the first real job interview I ever had. I started working for Dr. Milbourne at New Life Cardiovascular Care in Wyndmoor, PA just outside of Chestnut Hill.
I learned so much about the field. I worked with patients hands on helping them with their heart monitors and cardiac testing. Dr. Milbourne even hired someone to come in and train me on some equipment so I was certified to work with numerous machines. Aside from conducting tests for patients, I would also schedule patients for follow up visits, send prescriptions to pharmacies with Dr. Milbourne’s authorization, and work travel between two busy offices with him. I was one of two assistants who worked directly with Dr. Milbourne.
I enjoyed every second of working in the medical field. With the exception of no benefits and a basic hourly salary which was increased twice during my duration in his practice, I still managed to keep my restaurant job. I was working full time at the doctor’s office and part time (20 hours) at Olive Garden in Collegeville, PA. Money was great for me between the two jobs. I was constantly buying clothes and jewelry for myself. I mean, who at the age of 23 could afford to buy themselves thousands of dollars worth of diamond earrings just because they felt like it?
After working for Dr. Milbourne for a year, I decided it was my time to leave the office and do more hands on work. I applied at a dermatology office and got the job immediately after my second interview. I started working for Dr. Ilyas in her practice, Montgomery Dermatology I still managed to keep my second job working at the restaurant.
It was the best job I ever had yet. Plus, lunch was always brought in for us by drug representatives, usually from Seasons 52, PF Changs, and other delicious restaurants. The office started to expand, Dr. Ilyas hired a second doctor and I was no longer her assistant. I was now helping someone else with her own set of rituals to the way she performed her tasks. It was different for me, working with a new doctor with a new set of demands. As much as I enjoyed working at the office, I decided to leave and work at the restaurant full time. As I was turning 25 in 2013, I took a good look at my life and realized that I want to have children by the time I’m 30 and I can’t keep working in the restaurant industry forever.
I decided that it was finally time to go back to school and finish what I started. I came to Cabrini to finish my studies in communication. After all, I was already half way finished before I switched to the medical field. The way I look at it, I accomplished the one field which I thought I could ever achieve in. I always looked at doctors and to this day, I admire them. I have this image in my mind of how hard working they are and that their job is the highest of all careers. The fact that I worked so closely to two successful doctors means more to me than anyone will ever understand. I managed to succeed in the medical field and now I want to conquer the multimedia world.
What interests me most about working in the media is that there’s always so much to learn. There’s always something going on. And to be able to broadcast news to the rest of the world and make the public aware of what’s going on is something that interests me. It’s such a powerful position to be able to influence others to listen to you and take your advice. What I learned was that I couldn’t have accomplished the medical assisting school if it weren’t for my dedication and determination. Hopefully I can conquer the media world as well. I’m looking forward to the rest of my journey at Cabrini learning about broadcast media.
