Extracurricular Activities
Respiratory club treasurer, youth sports umpire, youth softball assistant coach, Tech Opportunities Program (TOP) student, Phi Theta Kappa honor society member
A Little Bit About Me
I am 21 years old, and I am a first-generation student. I was born and raised in a small mountain town called Quincy, CA. I graduated high school in 2020 and attended my local junior college- Feather River College- for two years, obtaining my associate degree in general studies social and behavioral sciences in 2022. I transferred to Oregon Tech in Fall 2022 once I was accepted into the Respiratory Care bachelor's program, and I am currently a junior in that program.
Why I Chose Oregon Tech and My Major
I chose my major Respiratory Care because I wanted to enter the medical field, but I wanted something that enabled me to see and do many different things. Within this field, I can work in many different places such as hospitals, clinics, educational facilities, home health care, and transport teams. I am also able to work with a wide variety of patients because everyone, at some point, will need help with their lungs and breathing. I chose Oregon Tech because it was the only school that offered a bachelor's program for respiratory care within a reasonable distance from my hometown. I knew I wanted at least a bachelor's degree, but I didn’t want to move across the country. My aunt is also an alumni of Oregon Tech's dental hygiene program and she recommended that I look into this school because they might have what I was looking for.
My Influential Professors
My influential professors are Lauren Nielson and Mike Gilinsky. They are the main professors for the Respiratory program, so they are the ones who have been preparing us all for this field. They both are highly intelligent professors, individuals, and respiratory professionals. They are able to relate what they are teaching to what they see in hospitals, and they are able to make this career less intimidating than it seems during class.
My Greatest Learning Experience At Oregon Tech
My greatest learning experience at Oregon Tech was learning just how essential and necessary Respiratory Therapists are in the medical field. They are needed in almost every medical crisis to either administer medications, intubate the patient to help keep their airway open, or provide breathing treatments for chronic patients that have issues daily. Before I attended this school, I knew that I would have some freedom with where I worked and what patients I had, but I did not know just how much freedom and variety I would have. Whenever someone in the medical field hears that I am studying respiratory therapy they always say how much fun it will be and how valuable respiratory therapists are to the medical field. It makes me even more excited to continue my education and enter this field.
My Plans After Graduation
After graduating with my degree, I plan on working at Renown Regional Medical Center in Reno, NV. This is a very large and well-respected institution that has a thriving Respiratory department who are able to do so many amazing things. I will eventually then go back to school and obtain my master's degree in respiratory care so I can either start teaching or enter a managerial position.