National College News & Events

Student Found National and Medical Field Her Keys to Success

Jul 30, 2012

Shonda Prickett, a certified medical assistant who graduated from the Richmond Campus, has dreamed of working with children all of her life. She was placed as an extern at Rockcastle Pediatrics in Mount Vernon, Kentucky and just a week after finishing the externship, she was hired by the practice.

“I was more than thrilled that I got a job so quickly and it’s a job that I love,” she said with excitement. “I love children so it’s a dream come true to be able to work around children—it’s what I’ve wanted to do since I was a child.”

Before coming to National, Shonda attended a local university for four years. When she became ill it spurred her interest in health care. “I was going to be a music teacher and had a change of heart and decided to go into the medical field. I felt that I wanted to go to National to do that because my husband had been there before and loved the school,” she explained.

While some of her classes at the university had 100-200 students in attendance, she said, “It was nice to have one-on-one time at National—a lot more so than what I experienced at [the other college].” Her classes at National averaged 10-20 students.

Shonda said that her externship was a humbling experience. “I felt prepared from what I learned from National and I’m hoping that I impressed them enough that they appreciated my help during my externship. There are so many people here who know far so much more than what I do and I hope to learn as much as them,” she said of the staff.

Dr. Callie Shaffer with Rockcastle Pediatrics said that Shonda had the skills that they were looking for when she worked as an extern for the practice and that they were pleased to offer her a permanent position. “She was always prompt and had an excellent work ethic. She’s also very good with patients and has a very kind manner,” explained Dr. Shaffer. “So, when we could keep her on it was just a benefit.”

Rockcastle Pediatrics currently employs 3 other National College graduates and several of those also began as externs. “It’s working out really well,” said Dr. Shaffer of the progression of students from extern to employee.

Shonda credits National with her success in her new career. “Without graduating from National I would not have the kind of job experiences that I have now. I think that I would be in a job that I didn’t necessarily like and a pay range that wasn’t going to accommodate me and my family. I think that it has completely altered my way of living for the rest of my life,” she shared.

Shonda is so enthused about her new career that she has inspired her mother, Priscilla King, to enroll in the Richmond Campus medical assisting program, as well.

“She was so interested in what she was doing and she talked about how small the classes were. That really inspired me,” explained Priscilla. “I’m tired of not being able to do the things that I would like to do because of lack of education.”

“For her to have an interest in going to college—I just felt like I owed it to her to (help her) do something that she wanted to do after a lifetime of struggling,” explained Shonda who paid her mother’s enrollment fee and bought school supplies to get her mother started in her classes.

Shonda encourages others to follow their dreams. “Go for whatever you dream to have because a lot of times God will give us dreams that are too big for us so that we can grow into them.”

Shonda Prickett is pictured in the above photo with Dr. Callie Shaffer. Shonda’s enthusiasm for National’s medical assisting program inspired her mother Priscilla King (below) to enroll in the program at the Richmond Campus

tags: KY-Richmond | Medical: Medical: Medical Assisting - Associate Degree (MAA)

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