One of the most exciting guest speakers for any Ross campus to invite is one that actually graduated from a Ross program and is out in the field as a healthcare professional. Recently, the Ross Medical Education Center campus in Owensboro, Kentucky had the pleasure of inviting one of their graduates, JulieAnne Guinn, to speak. JulieAnne came in to speak with students in the Medical Assistant class, Dental Assistant class, and Medical Insurance Billing and Office Administration class. Her message to the students was, “if I can do it, you can too!”
If anyone knows what kind of change attending Ross can make, it’s JulieAnne. Before becoming a student in the Medical Assistant program at Ross, JulieAnne worked in corrections for two years. She knew she did not want to work in that field for the rest of her life. She also had a baby on the way, and she wanted to set a positive example of what hard work can help you do.
So, to change her direction and career, JulieAnne began the Medical Assistant program while she was expecting her first child. She told the classes they were very fortunate to attend Ross. She stated, “during my time at Ross I created so many friendships, learned accountability, and was overwhelmed by how much my Instructors truly cared.” Many of the students nodded in agreement.
She told the class there were days that she did not feel like coming to school. However, she also shared that Assistant Campus Director of Education Shafawna Fox-Baker and Medical Assistant Instructor Angela Bumpus always talked her through it and keep reminding her of her motivation to finish. JulieAnne told the class, “I was pregnant the entire time I was in class and only missed one day of school which was to deliver my baby.” She continued, “if I can do it, you can too, no excuses.”
JulieAnne told the students what gave her the strength to keep going was that she made it this far and she refused to look back. She was pinned just four days after delivering her son. After finishing her classroom work, she went on to complete her externship successfully and now is employed full-time at a local hospital. JulieAnne told the class to stay persistent and never give up.