Student Spotlight Meet Melissa Bailey

Melissa is our spotlight student this month; Melissa is coming to the end of the Medical Assisting program at our San Jose campus; she hopes to graduate this month after completing her clinical externship. Melissa was motivated to go to college by her mom, who believed that Melissa needed to pursue something that could help her establish a career in the future. “I was working at a pizza shop in Las Vegas, NV.  I was hesitant about college at first because high school was enough for me, I was done with it; but my mom convinced me to look around and consider my options.” Melissa was ‘matched’ with Carrington College California by an online college matching tool. “I decided to come for a tour, and it was like all the pieces of the puzzle started fitting together for me; I could see my future.” Once she had made her decision, Melissa was delighted with the enrollment process too. “I thought getting enrolled, and all the financial aid stuff, was going to be a waste of time.  But I came here and they sat me down and gave me an idea of the prices for my class, and talked me through my financial aid options.” Melissa really enjoys the ‘grown-up approach” of Carrington College California. “When I was looking for colleges, I really didn’t want to go somewhere with a high school atmosphere.  In high school the teachers always had too many students, there was never really enough time for just me.  I wanted to go somewhere with an adult level of respect, where you get treated as an adult.  I like the fact that a lot of the girls in my class are older than me; they are adults coming back to further and better themselves. The atmosphere is very welcoming and inviting, and I feel I can give that to patients now…I like that.” Carrington has brought out a side of Melissa that she didn’t know she had; “I definitely see a change; I now have the confidence to take control of things, I used to be shy.  I’ve become more observant, I notice things I never noticed before, and I’m more organized!  The skills that Carrington has given me have made me more confident in myself; I now know that I can do it when I get out there!”  As Melissa approaches the end of her program, she’s excited about graduation – “My mom deserves it, I can’t wait, it’s going to be a lot of fun!  I’ll be the first one to graduate from college, which is exciting!” Good luck Melissa, we’re proud of you! (Just like your mom!)