WELCOME HOME ALUMNI

Back in the 90's I was a teenage mom and was forced to drop out of high school and later get my GED. I wasn't doing much with my life until I had a traumatic family experience. My mom became suddenly ill, we brought her to the hospital and they brushed it off and sent her home. Unfortunately shortly after, she died of a thoracic aneurysm. I decided then and there that I wanted to pursue a career in healthcare and never be in a position where I didn't know how to help someone. I enrolled in the Medical Assistant (MA) program at Pima Medical Institute. It was tough! I had three kids, I was working and I hadn't been a student for a long time. It became so difficult I had to drop out for a time. But I came back and had great instructors who believed in me and helped make the textbook learning practical. After completing the program I worked in a number of different healthcare settings, but I always had my mind set on working at the Arizona Heart Institute. One day, I got the call for my dream job and ended up working there for seven years. As I worked with the surgeons, I finally learned the what, why and how of thoracic aneurysms. I actually had a patient who had an abdominal aneurysm. We caught it and I was able to help save his life. It was like a completion of a goal and a dream. After working 23 years in the field, I decided it was time to give back. I am currently an MA instructor at Pima Medical Institute's Phoenix Campus. My goal is to help my students succeed. I think my experience as a single mom helps me be a better instructor. I know that pushing through and doing the hard work will pay off. It is so rewarding knowing I am making a difference in my students' lives.

I chose Pima Medical Institute because I was tired of taking prerequisite courses and getting nowhere at a traditional community college. I enrolled in Pima Medical's Ophthalmic Medical Technician program and was excited to simply focus on my field of study without prerequisites. My experience as a student was great. The instructors were phenomenal! The course is accelerated so there is a lot of content covered in a short period of time but you are well prepared. During my time as a student I faced a number of hardships and thought I might have to drop out at one point. I lost my little sister to COVID, found out I had some major health issues, almost had my car stolen during clinicals, and I split with my fiancé of five years and me and my three kids became homeless. That was the point when I realized I was more than just another student at Pima Medical. The staff stepped in and helped with resources for housing and assistance with transportation and they cared for me as a person. I really appreciate that Pima Medical Institute gives you knowledge and prepares you for your career field, but also cares about your well-being. They want you to succeed! All three of my clinical rotation sites offered me a job. I am currently working for Cornea Clinic and am preparing to take my board exam. I would definitely recommend Pima Medical to anyone wanting to further their education in the medical field. They care.

My dad had a bout of pneumonia and ended up on a ventilator and I was fascinated watching the respiratory therapist control my dad's breathing. I'd been working in the auto industry, never thought I was college material, but I my family believed in and motivated me to look into the field. I set up a tour of Pima Medical Institute with the program director and as I saw the facility and listened to her, I fell in love with her passion for respiratory therapy. Being a student at Pima Medical was certainly challenging for me, but the support I had from instructors and classmates was amazing. Our class decided that no one was going to fail, so when someone was struggling with a concept, we all rallied around them. The instructors were always available for extra help and by the time I got to clinicals, I really felt prepared. Prior to graduation I obtained a position with Banner South, a hospital that had been part of my community since I'd been a child. While performing bedside care as a respiratory therapist, I recognized that healthcare doesn't stop at the bedside. I became interested in looking at how, for example, a patient's social economic situation impacted their outcome. Knowing I wanted to make a bigger impact and with the confidence I gained from my time at PMI I went on and continued my education earning my bachelor's in applied management and ultimately my MBA. I navigated my way throughout the healthcare system from beside care, care coordination, to quality improvement. Wanting to be more proactive than reactive, I took a position as Senior Manager of Medicare Administration. We not only looked at how we delivered advantage plan benefits, I'm proud to say we instituted a non-traditional innovative program for our patients. Recently, I accepted a position as Director of Care Delivery Operations for Banner Health Corporate. I recognize that in order for bedside staff to offer their best care, processes and supply have to be in place. I can now play a role in making that happen and that is very exciting! Pima Medical provided the necessary educational and support a guy - who didn't think he was college material - needed in order to have the confidence to be successful. Next step - CEO!

I am in my 18th year of Veterinary Medicine! I have been credentialed in a total of four states throughout my career. I obtained my first job where I'd had my clinical assignment and I loved it and worked in primary care for five years. I felt like I needed to advance my career and learn more so I started my five-year career in specialty surgery. I love learning and growing, so while working in surgery, I started picking up shifts in our emergency department. My heart is certainly in emergency medicine where I've been working for the last eight years, including managing a veterinary hospital in Texas and fulfilling my life's dream by working at The University of Florida Small Animal Hospital. I remember back in 2005 living in Las Vegas and looking for a career. I didn't just want a job. I wanted a career that would make me feel fulfilled and I wanted to work with animals, so I chose Pima Medical Institute's Veterinary Assistant (VA) program and I loved it! When I found they were adding a Veterinary Technician (VT) program I immediately enrolled in the first ever VT program at the Las Vegas Campus. The thing I appreciated the most at Pima Medical were my instructors. Dennis Lopez was an amazing teacher who not only gave us book smarts, he taught us about real life and work in veterinary medicine. I am so grateful for my education and training at Pima Medical. I definitely felt prepared for my new career and I've never looked back.

I was injured while playing soccer in high school and my physical therapist said to me, "I think you'd be a really good physical therapist!" I tucked that away until I was at Texas State University heading toward becoming a nurse when I realized it just wasn't for me. I switched to Exercise Sports Science with a pre-physical therapy emphasis. After graduation, the doctorate physical therapy programs were extremely competitive and I just didn't have the confidence to apply - still a regret. Instead, I reviewed my options and began searching for a Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) program and found Pima Medical Institute. It was a challenging, accelerated 18-month program, but my instructors were super motivating. Although they were hard on us, they gave us all the tools needed to be the best professional clinicians we could be. I was awarded the most "outstanding student" at graduation and offered a job at each of my clinical rotations. I began my therapist journey as a pediatric PTA until I found the place I really loved; working in sports medicine and rehabilitation. During my five plus years in orthopedics, I worked with multiple students as a clinical instructor. This drew my passion for education and I began my journey as a clinical director and instructor back at the same PTA program I'd attended. I tell my students I've been down their same path and I am going to give them everything they need to be a success in their clinical experience. I remind them that I am invested in their success because not only is Pima Medical's reputation on the line, so is mine as a graduate of this program. Pima Medical provided what I needed to become a great therapist and for that I am thankful. I believe I've found my place in education and I am hoping to further my education through the master's degree program in the future.

Growing up I'd always had my heart set on healthcare and my dream was to become a nurse. Despite being a good student initially, family issues led me to drop out of high school. I eventually got my GED and completed a nursing assistant program through Job Corps. Life threw more challenges my way, including a young marriage, poor partner choice and raising five children as a single mother. After seeing advertisements for Pima Medical Institute, I was drawn to enroll in the Medical Assistant (MA) evening program. Balancing work, school and motherhood was tough, but I persevered for nine months. I began my new career in urgent care and later pediatrics, where I've been ever since. After a few years, Pima Medical reached out encouraging me to pursue an online Health Care Administration (HCA) associate degree. This degree opened more career doors for me. Today, I am a Lead Medical Assistant at Phoenix Children's Hospital, working with the Homeless Youth Outreach Department. I wear many hats, including clinical lead, Spanish interpreter and vaccine coordinator. Recently, I enrolled in an accelerated nursing bachelor's program at Grand Canyon University, transferring many Pima Medical credits and moving closer to my dream of becoming a nurse. Pima Medial provided the foundation for my success. And even today, I always accept their student externs. The difference in skill between their students and others is noticeable. Returning to school as a single mom with five kids was challenging, but it was worth it. Many feel stuck in minimum wage jobs, but education can change that. Though it's tough initially, the long-term benefits include better job opportunities and more time with family. My journey was hard, but Pima Medical Institute was the key to my success. With determination and effort, you can achieve your dreams too.

I completed my bachelor's degree in child development and worked at child care centers for a number of years, but something inside me always longed to be in the medical field. My dad was a physical therapist assistant and later became an RN, so I had lots of exposure to the medical field. But, it's very difficult to switch careers. After a coworker told me about Pima Medical Institute, I began taking steps to enroll in the Medical Assistant (MA) program. I was still working full-time so the hybrid MA program, which offered online learning and the opportunity to attend classes two nights a week, was exactly what I needed. I loved my experience as a student and appreciated my instructors. It was tough attending classes and working full-time, but I was diligent with my studies and disciplined myself to study on weekends. When it came time for my clinicals, I quit my child care job and began applying all I had learned in my classes at a family medicine clinic. The people I worked with really helped me and I was able to apply the skills I had learned, gain experience and also increase my confidence. It was probably my favorite part of my education. Finding a job ended up being a lot easier than I had anticipated. I am currently working as an MA at Parker Pediatrics and Adolescence. I love my job! I am able to marry all my experience working with children and my new career in the medical field. I really enjoy the people I work with and it's providing me a ton of opportunities for further growth and learning. I'm not finished with education, so I am in the process of getting my bachelor of science in nursing. Pima Medical gave me my start in the medical field. Being able to work full time while obtaining my MA certificate was so worth it and provided a jumping off point for me into the medical field.

I was born and raised in Bisbee, Arizona, and I'm proud to be a first-generation college student. My interest in radiology began in fourth grade after a broken wrist landed me in the ER. I was fascinated by the X-ray process, and that moment never left me. After high school, I shadowed in the radiology department at a local hospital where my mother worked and decided to apply at Pima Medial Institute. I didn't get in the first time, but I gained more experience, took classes and eventually reapplied after COVID. I was accepted! And that changed everything. The program was tough, especially being far from home and dealing with personal loss. But I was never alone. Kristen Miller, Jolene Pobrislo and Jeff Botkin supported me every step of the way. They believed in me, and I always knew I could reach out for help. Today, I work as a radiologic technologist performing X-rays and bone density scans. I hope to add Computed Tomography (CT) to my credentials and grow into a hospital role. Pima Medical gave me the knowledge, confidence and care to make my dreams possible. And now, I get to show my grandparents every day that their sacrifices were worth it.

I have always admired health care professionals and knew from an early age that I wanted to contribute meaningfully to patient care. As a young adult preparing for college, a routine physical led to the discovery of a benign brain tumor. I spent much of that summer in and out of the hospital. The compassion, skill and reassurance shown by my nurses and doctors left a lasting impact on me during a time filled with fear and uncertainty. I began working as a dental assistant for a family friend, which gave me a glimpse into the profession and led to a transformative mission trip to Nicaragua, where I assisted in providing dental care to underserved communities. Soon after, I applied to the Dental Hygiene program at Pima Medical Institute's Seattle campus. The program was rigorous, but the unwavering support from instructors made all the difference. They were dedicated to our success academically, clinically and personally. When it came time to take my clinical boards and graduate, I felt fully prepared and confident. Now, with eight years of experience as a Registered Dental Hygienist, I often hear from employers how much they value Pima Medical graduates. This reputation for excellence inspired me to continue my education and enroll in the Bachelor of Science in Health Care Administration program. That journey equipped me with the knowledge and confidence to start my own myofunctional therapy practice. Through my Capstone project, I developed a comprehensive business plan and learned what it takes to build and sustain a health care practice. I am proud to now serve as a Hybrid and Clinical Dental Hygiene Instructor at the Seattle campus. It's an honor to be a Pima Medical graduate, a dental professional, a business owner, an educator and, above all, a mother to three amazing children. I feel truly blessed to support my family while thriving in a career I am passionate about.