From a very young age I was always the type of person who loved helping people and got satisfaction out of making a difference in someone’s else’s life. I’ve fulfilled this interest since high school and all through college by doing nannying and babysitting for children of all different ages. I also have been a certified lifeguard since the age of 15 and I continue to enjoy that as a second job. After taking a few Health Policies classes in college and finding myself taking a deep interest in the health care system I decided that Health Policies Administration was the major for me and that it would provide me with a career that I could enjoy for life.
Throughout my first couple semesters at Penn State I was able to explore a wide range of subjects and found that I excelled in Health Policies classes as well as computer science and intro to stat and finance classes, all which helped to solidify my interest in Health Care Administration. Through my work as a babysitter and nanny I have taken a special interest in children and caring for them. As a lifeguard I was required to get certifications in CPR/AED, First Aid, Lifeguarding, and Oxygen, all of which I have keep up to date and been renewing since 2009. These certifications have also helped to continue my interest in health care. I have recently become a swim instructor at the local YMCA where I teach young children basic water skills and I enjoy that very much. Knowing that I am teaching children a skill that they will have for the rest of their lives makes me very happy. All of these experiences as an undergraduate have helped to shape where I see myself in the future.
Being one of four kids in a single parent household has made me very mature. From my late years in high school throughout college I have been a full time students with part time jobs on the side in order to support myself and pay my way through college. Having both class and work almost every day has made my time management skills very strong as well as my work ethic. I always had to work and plan ahead in my classes so that I still had time to work and make the money necessary to pay for living and school. Though it’s been challenging balancing everything in my life I believe I have become a stronger and harder worker throughout the whole experience and I have developed a passion for what I do. I have realized that in order to be successful you must work hard to achieve your goals and I continue to do that in my studies as well as my work outside of school.
Some of the things I have excelled in since high school are my math and computer skills. Statistics was one of the first courses I took at Penn State as an undergraduate and I loved it not only because it made sense but because I was good at it. I also really have enjoyed the computer science classes that I have taken throughout college. The world is becoming more technologically advanced everyday and the health care industry is doing the same. Especially on the business and administration side of health care, we rely more on technology to store important patient files and data. I believe my skills in Microsoft Office will be very important and beneficial as I move throughout my career and I think these skills could help me stand out from other applicants when applying for jobs or internships.
Of course, my future plans combine my past experiences with where I would like to be after completing my studies. I believe that I can make the greatest contribution working in a place where there is a large pediatric center where I am able to combine my love for helping people with my love for children. I believe my passion for the field will help me excel and make me an asset wherever I am placed. I am an extremely hard worker who works well with just about anyone and I would be a dedicated employee no matter what.