Bobbie Jo Bruske came to Ross Medical Education Center Port Huron campus looking to make a positive change in her life and to start a career in which she could continue to grow professionally. While on campus, she faced adversity in her personal life and made the difficult decision to leave a destructive relationship after finding out she was expecting her first child. After graduation, she found herself living in transitional housing with her infant son. Even in the midst of this hardship, she remained positive and was motivated to continue this career path in order to create a stable future for herself and her child.
As a student, Bobbie Jo continually displayed critical thinking skills and acted as an encouraging leader to her classmates. She remained professional at all times on campus and exhibited a strong work ethic. During her externship at Lighthouse Family Medicine, the employer took notice of her skill set and hired her in a contingent position. Bobbie Jo set the bar high for future students because the site manager now asks for “students like Bobbie Jo.” She graduated from the Medical Assistant program with a 3.86 GPA and an overall 94% attendance rate.
Bobbie Jo was offered full-time employment at Michigan Neurology and Spine Center as a Medical Assistant. When the job was presented to her, Bobbie Jo let her employer know about it. They were so excited for her to receive this opportunity that the physician made a phone call to the physician at Michigan Neurology and Spine Center to personally recommend her. Having a physician call another physician to make a personal recommendation is extremely rare and speaks to the respect they have for her work ethic and character. In fact, Lighthouse Family Medicine was so impressed with her, as soon as they had a full-time position become available, they called her to offer it to her. She enthusiastically accepted, excited to return to the office where she had completed her externship and worked right after graduation. Bobbie Jo has since been able to move out of transitional housing and into an apartment. She is proud to have overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles to be in a place to provide a life for herself and her son.
“Bobbie Jo Bruske is a great example of how attending Ross can change a person’s life. Bobbie Jo worked hard while on campus, she asked insightful questions and was a leader in the classroom, always willing to help a fellow classmate. She overcame many personal obstacles throughout her program but remained focused and, above all, determined. Her determination and the desire to create a better, more stable life for her son is what sets Bobbie Jo apart.
-Lisa Montross, Career Services Representative at Ross Medical Education Center’s Port Huron campus