Page 119 - 50th Alumni Success Stories Book

Yvonne De Los Reyes How did I go from being a single mom in high school
to recently overseeing the top enrolling COVID-19
Medical Assistant Program vaccine trial that resulted in a 94.5% efficacy rate for the
Tucson Campus biotechnology company Moderna?

Graduated 2007 I became a single mom while in high school and was
unsure of my future plans when a doctor on my coed
softball team encouraged me to apply for a job at his
clinic. I began as a receptionist and after some time
my doctor encouraged me to get more education, so
I enrolled in Pima Medical Institute’s Medical Assistant
program. I made some really good friends and was
provided a great stepping stone into my career.

I went from being a single mom in

high school to recently overseeing

the top enrolling COVID-19 vaccine

trial for Moderna.

After graduation, I was able to work closely with patients.
I saw how different medications helped them and
became very interested in the different clinical trials.
Again, I chose to get more education, enabling me
to become a certified clinical research coordinator.
I’ve coordinated over 100 clinical trials at Quality of
Life Medical & Research Center. As a result of my
involvement in this very significant vaccine trial, I have
been promoted to Clinical Trials Research Site Director,
overseeing the entire team and clinical trials, all at the
very same clinic where I began as a receptionist.

This trial has certainly brought my career to a new level,
but it has also been very fulfilling on a personal level as
we are ALL affected by this terrible pandemic. My edu-
cation at Pima Medical Institute provided a foundation
which I was able to build upon.

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