ACADEMICS

I graduated from Trumbull County Joint Vocational School (known as Trumbull Career and Technical Center now or TCTC) June 1995 and Choffin School of Surgical Technology June 1996.  2019 I became, the Interim Program Director (PD) of Choffin School of Surgical Technology and the reason I am in your ENG101 course 2 weeks late trying to obtain an Associate’s Degree (AD)  is because the accrediting body mandates the PD has at least an AD or higher.  I interviewed with RN, AD, BSN Nurses, others that had Degrees and the person with no degree got the job. After receiving the job, ARC-STSA our programmatic accreditation body, did not approve me as PD after completing a full year of classes under stay at home orders under a Pandemic.  We graduated 10 with Certificate of Completion, 100% Employment and 80% passed Certification to become CST.  My employer then hired an approved PD in November, make myself Clinical Coordinator, for her to resign when 13 (thirteen) graduated June 4, 2021.  This year, 11 out of 13 have Employment and 8 of 13 passed Certification.  

As I have stated earlier, I have Certificate of Completions for Phlebotomy, Surgical Technology and Surgical First Assisting (2002).  All three came with education but none were attributed to a Degree.  I worked as a PD at a previous Post-Secondary School ten (10) years ago but resigned after 6 months.  I was going to obtain my degree at that intuition. That plan didn’t work out so well when I resigned so, then I went back to KSU to obtain a degree.  Middle of first semester back, I had a stroke from all of the stress from school, family, full time job and was newly engaged.  Was told I was a liability, and not allowed to go back into surgery. But my Neuropyscologist reminded me that I could always teach because it wasn’t new information, it was like muscle memory.   He learned from my career history, I had been teaching since 2003 as my moonlight occupation. He explained, just not to go to obtain the PD.   Contrary to his belief and he told me “I hope you come back to prove me wrong, but my professional option not to go back into surgery.”  I was devastated, I always believed I would retire in surgery.

I have been back into Surgery since 2017 as a Surgical First Assistant and PD of Choffin School of Surgical Technology 2018.  My God is a Healer and Provider.  I had been trying to accomplish the AD with Eastern Gateway Community College (EGCC) since I was awarded the Program Director position in 2018. There was back and forth conversations about transcripts being transferred, articulation agreements, credits to test out, and acknowledgment of prior learning with my extensive background having been a PD in 2009 and currently while this was with a different Administration. These conversation went much better with the new Administration compared to the old.  I am always the exception to the rule. Like the American language.  I am God’s child and when he says something will be. It will be. I have always asked questions which make some people uncomfortable and at times make them understand that what I am saying makes logical sense if you listen.  Remember I got Welfare to pay for my 2 different programs, so I shot my shot again. I shot my shot, with Vice President Crooks, Dean Gina Augustine, Assistant Dean Rachel Riska, and PLA Coordinator Michael Conrad and they listened to agree to work with me on my endeavor this time because a shot my shot. By having this cultivated relationship, imagine my reaction when my employer, has a meeting with the Adult Education Department, that there is talk with our CEO of Youngstown City School District (YCSD) and President of EGCC are possibly creating some type of Partnership / Collaboration between the two. So, this wasn’t for Choffin or EGCC, it was for myself to have a marketable skill with an AD.  Youngstown isn’t the only place that has PD position.  If I would not have shot my shot, I would be reactive but by obeying Gods direction, I am proactive by having the relationship with people that listened to a little girl from Warren, Ohio and is on the way to an AD and beyond.