After nearly a decade working in the food industry, Jeremy Woody, 34 was hungry for a job with regular hours and better benefits. Having been homeschooled, the North Carolina native admits he had preconceived ideas about what college was like, “I didn’t have the confidence that I was college material,” he said.
However, when the pandemic hit, Woody felt called to change careers and wanted to help people in some meaningful way. After doing research into jobs in the medical field, he decided to apply to A-B Tech's Cardiovascular Sonography program and was accepted. Scholarships helped to cover the program's cost, allowing him to quit his job and focus on his clinical practicum and studies. A do-it-yourselfer who has remodeled his own house and regularly fixes his own car, Woody still doubted he had what it takes to succeed in a challenging college program. He had to push himself to take a risk, but he says he's incredibly glad he did.
Having recently started a student position at Mission Hospital, Woody found that he thrives in the fast-paced world of the emergency room, where he will soon begin working as a cardiac sonographer full-time. “It’s similar to food service,” he said. “You have that high pressure. The family is watching you; the doctor watching you. They question “What do you see?” There’s a sense of importance.”
Though the program has been challenging, Woody said he succeeded thanks in great part to regular study sessions with classmates and the encouragement of his fiancé.
Recently he was chosen for an academic award, the result of maintaining at least a 3.0 GPA and excelling at his studies. He’s realized how much he loves learning in a classroom environment fueled by discussions with like-minded people. After establishing himself at Mission Hospital, Woody hopes to go on to get his bachelor’s degree in Health Science or Management.
“I want to keep learning,” he said. “And see how far does that rabbit hole go?”