If you made the choice to vacate your comfort zone, where could you take yourself?
Launa Manchego almost didn’t find out.
Manchego joined the working world as soon as she graduated from high school, first working at local hospitals and a nursing home and then as a longtime employee of the U.S. Postal Service.
“When I decided to go back to school, I nearly talked myself out of it. I had no idea what I was walking into,” she said.
Ultimately, she chose to enter the world of PCC’s Health Information Technology and Management program, which offered new career possibilities that still held some familiarity.
“I already had a huge background in a lot of the terminology because of my work at the hospitals and the nursing home,” Manchego said. “It turns out that I had no idea how many opportunities it would open for me.”
Ronda Gasperetti, faculty member in HITM, guided Manchego through her introduction to the program. One notable advantage was the fact that the HITM courses are online. She would be able to complete her work anywhere – in this case, from another state as she helped her daughter with a new baby, Manchego’s first grandchild.
“For me – someone who was already intimidated about returning to school – I was looking for something smaller with great accreditation, yet more intimate classes where I was not just another student, where it didn’t matter what my age was or education level. I was accepted and shown the respect I deserved and so desperately needed.”
Manchego will complete her associate degree this summer. She already had an internship as a billing specialist with a national company and will test for industry certifications as soon as she graduates.
“Every instructor I’ve had has given me extra attention when I needed it and made me feel like such a priority. I feel like I belong here at PCC,” she said.
She hopes to find a remote work opportunity that will allow her to continue making frequent visits to her grandkids.
“I think once you complete something you absolutely did not see yourself doing, you get a sense of empowerment that maybe you can do these things,” said Manchego. “One thing leads to another and suddenly you gain this extreme amount of confidence, and the sky is the limit. Coming back to school and having to really humble myself was hard, but it was so rewarding.”
