Alexena Antone-Aguirre, who graduated with a 4.0 GPA last September from the Medical Administrative Assistant program is the youngest of six children, a descendant from two native American tribes: the Pima and the Maricopa of the Gila River Indian Community in Arizona. Her family was originally from Laveen, AZ and eventually moved to Stockton, California where she was born and raised. She met her husband there, they married and she became a stay-at-home mom raising her two children, a daughter now nine years old and a five-year old son. But recently when her husband experienced an accident on the job which limited his mobility, Alexena felt it was time, with the kids now in school, to enter into a field of work herself.
At first, she didn’t think of herself as someone in an “office job.” But with the help and inspiration from her Native American grandmother who gave her strong messages of carrying oneself with respect for self and others, staying positive, and to push oneself to do greater things, she eventually found her way to the Carrington College’s Medical Administrative Assistant program and a future career – first in an office as a Float Receptionist at the Community Medical Center in Stockton and onward to a path to an even bigger career.
This is her story.
When the kids were in school and you decided it was time to go to work, what did you do?
At first, I was confused about what to do. I worked as a cap and screw laborer at a production facility and sometimes at seasonal jobs. One time I was a ride operator for mechanical rides at a pumpkin patch – like swings, carousels, mini-coasters, like that. I had to make sure it was safe for little kids and the seat belts were working properly.
Working as a Medical Administrative Assistant is quite different from that – how did you make the change?
Yeah, at first, I only thought of myself as a laborer, not someone who could sit at a desk for work. I started doing research, trying to find anything that caught my eye. I looked into Dental Assisting, but talking to the representative was helpful because it made me realize it wasn’t for me. I tried again a year or two later and it clicked when I stumbled into the idea of an MAA certificate.
What was it that clicked for you?
That you could move up from that position. I saw you didn’t have to stick to one thing. I knew I was more ambitious, and liked that it was possible to move out of the front office.
Once you were in school, what was the most challenging part of it?
At the beginning, it was finding the balance of everything to do – the schoolwork and still handling the kids. After a while, things started to flow. Because I wanted it so much it helped me meet my challenges. I was motivated.
And you did so well – a 4.0! How did you do that?
To be honest, I wasn’t really trying to achieve good grades. If something interests me, I just want to learn it; I’m a naturally good student, but all I thought I was doing was getting to the point where I could really understand it.
What were the three most important things you figured out in order to handle the challenges of family and school?
Number One, sacrificing sleep! Studying late nights and early mornings before school drop-off. Number Two, working online allowed me to continue even when I had to move from Arizona to California. Doing it online kept me going. And Number Three, you’re not alone – the classes are small and you get the benefit of studying in small groups together.
Tell me about getting your first job.
I just started it! Actually, I felt my first interview at this company didn’t go well and I was pretty discouraged. I contacted Amy (Creed), my Career Services Advisor, and she reassured me she could teach me a few things to improve my interviewing skills. We did a mock interview and she helped me highlight my unique skills and what I bring to the table; she sent me videos and we practiced some key interview questions. Amy knew there were other candidates for the job, but I ended up being the one they offered it to!
That’s so great. You didn’t give up! Now that you’re on your way, do you have other goals to pursue after this?
I want to get as much experience on the job as I can and then go back to school for my Associates degree.
If you were in front of a group of potential students right now who were considering Carrington College, what would you tell them?
I would say if this is something you really want to do, don’t think about the what if’s – you ] just have to go for it. Everything is there once you’re in school: the resources, the teachers, so just take advantage of it. They are very helpful; they help you go beyond what you think you can do. I am so grateful to Amy – and realize how important she was in the process. But first of all, you have to believe in what you’re doing, you have to believe that you can do it.
