Sarah Morales, Campus Director for the Carrington College campus in Lancaster said recent graduate Emilio Carrillo has been a frequent visitor on campus to share the successes in his career. That day, he had just come to let them know he accepted an offer at UCLA working as a Medical Assistant in the digestive disease department; it was an important goal for him. He sees it as a step up and a path to expand on what he wants to do, working at the Gastro Care Institute.
But this is not a story of an outwardly strong personality finding his way; as a child, Emilio was so painfully shy, he wouldn’t speak to family members. He didn’t like being in crowds; he only spoke when he was spoken to. It started when he was 4 or 5 years old. It gradually subsided when he entered a good charter middle school, but his shyness returned when they moved to another city and he started high school in a completely new environment.
What turned him around? He says Carrington College ignited his desire to learn. He was never a good student in middle or high school. But the instructors, Enrollment Services Associate, and Campus Director Sarah Moralez at Carrington College, were great at pulling him out of himself. They made it fun and they let him learn what he wanted to learn in a way that made him strive for himself.
This is his story.
Tell me about yourself.
I was born and raised in south LA, near Compton and Watts. My family moved to Lancaster when I was 14 years old. I’m the third of four children; I have two brothers and a sister.
Was there anyone who inspired you as a child?
My parents were big on school and learning a trade, not just a nine-to-five job. They wanted us to do something bigger. They both worked so hard to help us get ahead.
What encouraged you to come out of your shell at Carrington College?
The teachers. I wasn’t a good student in middle or high school. In fact, I hated it. Even though I was shy, the Carrington College instructors recognized my desire. I started to love how much interaction I had with them. They made it fun and let me learn what I wanted to learn. I felt like you could always ask questions or get it wrong without being reprimanded. It was very interactive.
What did you have to change in yourself to meet the challenge of opening up with the instructors?
Definitely I realized nobody’s going to remember besides me if I got anything wrong, so better just to not worry about it. I learned whether you get it right or wrong, you’re learning either way. And I realized that’s why I was there. To learn.
Tell me about the experience of getting hired. What do you think were the qualities in yourself, as well as your experience at Carrington College that helped you get hired?
My goal was to surround myself with people who wanted it just as much as I did, to keep learning and providing the best patient care I could. With respect to my qualities, I’ve been told by my current manager at work that I’m very motivated, I’m easy to have a conversation with, and I wasn’t too serious. When you’re under pressure like we are in this job, it helps to have a senses of humor and to have the ability to stay calm.
What is your job now?
Before I left Carrington College, my goal was to work at UCLA. Now I work there as a Medical Assistant in the digestive disease department. My first day was April 27th. It’s going really well and everybody is very generous and helpful. I can tell I’m definitely not as shy as I used to be!
What are your next steps?
I’m hoping to start a radiology program in the next year or two. It’s a good place to get experience and build up my skill set. I want to go further with my medical training, so radiology is a goal.
If you were in front of a group of young adults who were considering enrolling in the Medical Assisting program at Carrington College, what would you tell them?
I would tell them to definitely consider if they personally enjoy helping people or not; this is not a field to join if you’re not about patients and patient care. Of course, people say there is the case of making money, but that is nothing like the value of seeing the patients heal and grow. And I would also add: if you want it badly enough, you will make it happen!
