Each Ross Medical student and graduate has an inspiring story to tell of hard work and a passion for healthcare. However, some of those students and graduates are nominated by an instructor or staff member to receive the annual Michigan Association of Career Colleges and Schools (MACCS) award. These students are those that stand out because of their hard work, dedication, and response to challenges. One of those graduates is Contrina White from the Ross Medical Assistant program in Portage, Michigan.
After working many years as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), Contrina came to Ross to pursue slightly different training for the healthcare field. She had a true passion for working with the elderly, but the years of lifting had taken its toll on her body. As a single mother, she worked full time while attending the program and taking care of her children. At one point, she even became homeless while attending Ross but she would not give up on her goals and was always a great example to other students who were facing challenges.
Contrina has a larger than life personality and a strong work ethic. After her classroom experience, she went on to impress the staff and physicians at her externship site with these admirable attributes. Immediately upon graduation, she was hired into a medical assistant position. She continues to fulfill her passion for the elderly, but now she is a professional medical assistant working alongside a physician at the Borgess Geriatric Assessment Center in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
Contrina was an incredible student and is a wonderful healthcare professional who has so much compassion for others regardless of her situation. Even when she was at her lowest, she was always ready and willing to help anyone and everyone. Contrina looked for something positive in each day, even if on some days she had to look a little harder. The challenges in her life made her a stronger person and the staff and faculty at Ross have great respect for her and what she has accomplished.
Valerie Johnson, Medical Assistant Instructor in Portage shared about working with Contrina:
“I decided that Contrina would be an excellent student to nominate for the MACCS award because she had a great personality and although life continued to throw her challenges, she continued to walk tall, smile and some days cry at the same time, but she came to class. And Contrina was so determined to prove to herself and others that she was capable of finishing this program here at Ross. I remember talking to Contrina about being homeless and how important her children were to her and regardless of how bad her situation may have become, she knew that she needed to do this for herself and to provide a better life for her children while at the same time being a great role model for them.”