Page 57 - 45th Anniversary Alumni Success Stories

I’ve been on my own since 2012 and graduated from
high school as a homeless youth. When I contacted Pima
Medical Institute in 2014, I was desperate and struggling
to survive. My home was my car or a friend’s house. I
was struggling with depression and was at my wit’s end.
I met with my admissions advisor and we connected right
away. When she told me I’d passed the entry test she said,
“You can do this!” For the first time in a very long time,
I knew someone believed in me!

When I started PMI’s Medical Assistant program, the
staff and instructors helped me with my FAFSA, studying,
extra tutoring and extra time. I have never felt so sup-
ported! The career services department held my hand
through the resume, application and externship process.
I was hired at the UW Neighborhood Clinics before I’d
even graduated.

In 2015 I met with my advisor again. I excelled at the
entry level test for the associate degree program in Health
Care Administration. After enrolling, my advisor looked
at me and said, "I am so proud of you, you've come so
far!" I finished my Associate’s in Health Care Administra-
tion in December of 2016 with a 4.0 GPA! I plan to
continue and have my bachelor’s by February of 2018.
I really don’t know what I would have done without the
personal support of everyone at PMI! I went from a
struggling, confused, and anxious girl to a thriving woman
in one year’s time.

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