While she had always wanted to return to college someday, stay-at-home mom Kala Day decided to go back a little earlier than she had planned when her husband lost his job. She needed new skills fast, so she could enter the workforce. “It’s hard to find a job without experience.”
Since her husband is active in the Army Reserve, she was looking for a college that was military friendly. “That’s one thing I love about [National]; they are so military oriented.”
Kala enrolled in the phlebotomy & ECG technician diploma program through the Princeton Campus; her experience in this program helped her realize how much she enjoyed working in the medical field.
Shortly after she graduated and became a certified phlebotomist, she decided to re-enroll in the medical assisting associate degree program, so she could have more options for employment. “I want to be established [in my career],” Kala explains.
After receiving her associate’s degree and completing her externship, Kala felt fully prepared for her Registered Medical Assistant exam, which she passed. Armed with this key industry certification, she obtained employment with Southern Highlands Mental Health Center in Princeton.
In keeping with her goal of pursuing a medical career, Kala is taking full advantage of ANU’s progressive learning format. After earning her diploma and associate’s degree and entering the workforce, she has continued her education directly into the medical and health services management bachelor’s degree program.
“I like it…the classes go really in depth,” Kala says of her new program. While a 100% distance education program presented a new challenge, ANU’s Global Learn™ system with ZOOM videoconferencing classes and Canvas learning management system made it possible. “Canvas is a really good set up that lays everything out real well so it is easy to keep up with,” Kala notes.
Kala enjoys the challenges of her job each day, where she triages patients for four to five different providers at her facility each day. Her duties involve getting the patients’ vitals, documenting their histories, and performing drug screenings when necessary.
“I love it,” she says. “It was the perfect fit for me.”
