Alumni and Student Stories

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When it came time to choose her career path, Rachel [Phillips] Butts knew she wanted to work in dental health.

“I had only heard great things about Gwinnett Tech,” she said. “I discovered they had my program of study and that it was very hands-on learning. I knew this would be the best option for me.”

Rachel entered the Dental Assisting program and began preparing for her future.

“Throughout the program, my two program teachers – Leanna Harding and Amy Weaver- were my mentors. They were great teachers who really prepared us with everything we needed to be successful in the workplace,” Rachel said.

Thanks to two internships during her time at Gwinnett Tech, Rachel also gained real-world experience – and a permanent job after graduation.

“My second internship was at Duluth Dental Services, where I now work as the dental assisting and treatment coordinator,” she said. “I’m able to assist Dr. Geoghegan during procedures, educate patients on oral health and help them with their insurance as well as perform general office duties. Both he and his assistant Tammy have walked alongside me as I continue to learn.”

Her favorite part of her job? “I have really enjoyed building relationships with the patients.”

When she looks back on her education, Rachel is thankful for her time at Gwinnett Tech.

“Everything I learned in the classroom applied to my work environment,” she said. “The hands-on learning really prepared me for success.”

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Working as a full-time server while maintaining a full-time class schedule is no easy feat, and Angel Esquivel credits the support and mentorship of her Dental Assisting Program Director Lea Anna Harding and instructor Amy Weaver. “They believed in me, even when I wasn’t quite sure I was going to make it,” Angel said.

During her time at Gwinnett Technical College, Angel worked hard to balance her school load with her workload, managing to graduate with a 4.0 GPA and the 2016 Distinguished Student Award. “Once I got home after work, I stayed up even later to study for my classes and exams,” she said. “I was also involved with Phi Theta Kappa society and the National Technical Honor Society.”

One of her favorite parts of the Dental Assisting program was the clinical internship, where she worked with, and learned from, local dentist Dr. Zachary Hyun Kim. “I respect how he even challenged me at times to keep me on track,” she said.

Angel credits her success in her field to the hands-on experience her classes and internship provided – “It’s more than just learning everything in the books”.

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Sarah Purvis remembers the day, as a high school student, that she underwent a thyroid ultrasound exam. She was nervous and uncomfortable, but, her ultrasound tech was understanding and educational.

“He showed me the monitor on his ultrasound machine, told me about the profession and put me at ease,” Sarah said. “Ever since that appointment, I developed a strong interest in that career field.”

Sarah’s family moved from California to Gwinnett in 2014 and she began researching CAAHEP accredited schools for diagnostic medical sonography. “While there were several other schools reasonably close, I discovered Gwinnett Tech offered the highest standards for the program and their success rates in the workforce are extremely high,” she said.

“Since starting the program, I’ve encountered the most passionate healthcare professionals. At clinical sites, the techs are constantly teaching us how to be better and more useful in the medical field. Our instructor’s passion has encouraged us to not only grow in our skills, but also in our character and heart.”

Sarah is president of Gwinnett Tech’s Student Sonography Association and a member of the Lambda Nu National Honors Society. She is also in the Workforce Initiative and Opportunity Act program. “This has helped me achieve my goal of graduation by providing me financial support for required material and tuition.”

For Sarah, her career can’t start soon enough. “I really enjoy the interaction with patients, the process of the actual exam, and the fascinating medical cases encountered on a regular basis. I have always desired to work in a field where I can help those in need and benefit a large population – diagnostic medical sonography fulfills that desire.”

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When Katie Denning enrolled at Gwinnett Tech her goal was to be a nurse or radiology tech, however she quickly learned patient care wasn’t for her and switched programs to IT. It wasn’t until she was working as a pharmacy tech within a hospital did she become interested in how technology supports hospital staff to provide excellent patient care.

“At Gwinnett Tech I learned concepts that had an immediate impact on my job performance. I was learning how to write a Request for Proposal(RFP) in class and at the same time asked to help develop an RFP for an application my team was working on.”

“Some might not able to picture an IT job as ‘fun’ but mine really is. It’s interesting and there is always something new on the horizon as technology in healthcare continues to improve.” Katie is currently employed at Northeast Georgia Health Systems in Gainesville, Ga. Visit our Health Information Technology program page.

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When Samia Haroon enrolled at Gwinnett Tech she was hoping to start a career as an analyst. Little did she know by graduation she would have a job with Clinigence a clinical business intelligence software provider in Atlanta, Ga and be well-educated in Health IT. “My biggest inspirations were my mentors and advisers Director, Patricia Whitley and Advisor, Victoria Albee. I didn’t know a lot about Health IT. After a particular lesson about informatics in one of my classes, I knew that data was a focus and I wanted to learn more about how data plays a role in improving healthcare outcomes with the use of Health IT.”

She credits Gwinnett Tech with giving her the tools to succeed. “I would love to acknowledge all the great available resources in the College, if you see school, like the math lab, computer science lab, the different student groups, the Student Life Center and the One-Stop office. It truly helps to be surrounded by individuals who are great at these crafts and are willing to engage with students with real-time effort and dedication.”

“I feel I have gained more than what I wanted to accomplish at Gwinnett Tech.” Samia now plans to earn her master’s in either informatics or predictive analytics. Visit our Health Information Technology program page.

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Long before he came to Gwinnett Tech, Robin Prasher knew he would pursue a medical career. “My Mom has been a nurse for more than 40 years and my sister is a physician assistant – they have been my inspiration,” he said. “My family always emphasized how important education was. My Dad always said, ‘A thief can steal anything from you, but they will never be able to steal your knowledge and that’s why it’s the best thing to acquire’.”

Today, Robin is a registered cardiovascular invasive specialist at Emory University Hospital Midtown. He credits Gwinnett Tech with launching his career. “I chose to pursue my cardiovascular technology education at Gwinnett Tech because I had gone to different colleges but never felt like I was getting the education I needed. I realized when I first took my anatomy class at Gwinnett Tech that this was the college for me. The teachers were so passionate about what they taught and really worked with the students in every way possible to help them succeed.”

Before graduating in 2016, Robin won the Dean’s List award and the Clyde and Sandra Strickland scholarship, which helped him decrease hours at his job so he could study more.

“My education at Gwinnett Tech helped me prepare for my career by giving me all the tools I needed,” Robin said. “I have received many professional accolades from cardiologists at Emory, but the one I always remember is when the head cardiologist told the manager that they need more people like me in this field.”

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Little did Brenda Mauldin know that her path to becoming a Surgical Technologist began 25 years ago when she toured Gwinnett Tech’s campus as a high school student. After many jobs following that high school graduation, she didn’t think about going back to school until her husband asked “why didn’t you go to school and chase that medical career you wanted?” Well, Brenda she took him up on that suggestion and didn’t look back!

As a student, Brenda served as the President of the Hunter Green Class Surgical Technology organization.

Brenda credits her success at Gwinnett Tech to the faculty in the Surgical Tech program. “I cannot even begin to share enough accolades. The instructors are absolutely amazing, inspiring, honest, true and supportive. They are more than ‘instructors’. They’re not only teaching us about the surgical tech field, but also about life. As both instructors, mentors and friends, they have a knack for really bringing us out of ourselves, challenging our comfort levels and pushing us to not just get by, but to blow past expectations.”

“It’s taken me five years to get my two-year degree. It has been a nothing short of amazing experience and time for me. I have learned so much, not just about surgical technology, but about life in general. I’m really grateful for the experience.”

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Kallie Palmer has always been interested in nursing. As a little girl, she wanted to be a nurse, but, she didn’t think she was “good” at math and never pursued a nursing career. Kallie went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts in English and a Master of Education and began teaching adult education. Then, she had a “light bulb moment” and wondered “what if, what if I just try? I didn’t want to have regrets. If I failed, then, at least, I can say I tried.”

While Kallie is in school, she is taking advantage of the externships through Gwinnett Tech and Gwinnett Medical Center. Over the summer of 2017 she worked as a patient care tech at Glancy Rehabilitation Center in Lawrenceville, Ga. “My externship was invaluable. The staff wanted to help and teach me. I was able to work with a variety of patients seeking treatment and gained confidence working in the medical setting and with patients.”

When asked what advice would you give someone thinking about a career change, she says “you only get one life, don’t sell yourself short and wonder what if.”

After Kallie graduates from Gwinnett Tech in May 2018, she will pursue her Bachelor in Nursing and a career in medical surgical nursing.

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Why did you choose Gwinnett Tech?
Gwinnett Tech was not only a very convenient campus to attend based on its location, but I was also very aware of the positive reputation the school had for many programs, particularly that of the Radiologic Technology Program.

What is your favorite thing about Gwinnett Tech?
My favorite thing about Gwinnett Tech would have to be the countless opportunities that are made available to its students. Class sizes offer students to obtain important skills both in a group setting but also in an intimate setting if needed.

What inspired you to pick your program/career/industry?
In 2006, my mother graduated from the very same program at Gwinnett Tech. I remember coming to campus when I was much younger to help her practice by being a “pretend patient”. Even at such a young age, I recall thinking that the material they were being taught was extremely interesting. As years passed, my mother would always tell me how much she truly loved her job and expressed how rewarding it was. Before long, I found myself on the very same career path as my mother 13 years later!

Has/How has enrollment in this program helped you accomplish your dreams?
Prior to enrolling in this program, I knew I wanted to pursue a profession where I felt as though I was truly making a difference. Oddly enough, I was wrapping up the program when COVID-19 was at its worse. While these were very trying times, this program provided me with the skillset for the unthinkable. I am very proud of the fact that I was able to fight on the frontlines of the virus, and none of that would have been made possible without this program.

Any advice for those interested in your program?
Like many professions in healthcare, Radiologic Technology is not for everybody! However, with great determination, eagerness to learn, and a passion to help others, this program is a wonderful decision. Those wishing to pursue a career in this field will need to invest many hours into this program. One thing I can promise is that hard work ALWAYS pays off.

Any advice for those interested in enrolling at Gwinnett Tech?
For anyone interested in enrolling in Gwinnett Tech, I would say do it! Gwinnett Tech is one of few schools in the area that offers unique programs that put out high-quality workers. The school also manages to offer these opportunities in a way that is much more financially attainable than most others.

Do you have any faculty/staff that helped you or that you connected with at Gwinnett Tech?
Absolutely! It did not take long for both my instructors and classmates to become my “second family” while enrolled in the program. To this day, I still keep in close contact with most of my instructors and classmates. The bonds you form with people while in this program are unlike any other.

What are you most proud of accomplishing/experiencing at Gwinnett Tech or because of your enrollment at Gwinnett Tech?
Again, I would have to say the opportunity to work on the frontlines during the peak of the COVID-19 virus would by far be my proudest accomplishment of this program. It was very difficult at times, but I was honored to be the one to care for these patients when they were not even able to see their own families. Because of the virus, I had to learn to apply my skills very quickly after graduation. Many negatives may have come from this terrible virus, but I truly feel I would not be the technologist I am today if it were not for my experiences working during it.

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Connie Gonzalez-Salmeron began her career as a medical assistant and functioned in both front-end position and back office administrative positions. These early beginnings served as the foundation for Connie’s quest for leadership and in 2009, she opened a payroll and benefits company, which grew from the payroll processing of 20 employees to over 2,000 within the first six months. In 2013, Connie sold that company to focus on her nursing career and eventually made her way to the Cardiovascular Care Unit (CVC) at Northside Hospital Gwinnet (NHG) as a professional registered nurse. She was recently named the new nurse manager of the CVC.

Completing her ADN (Registered Nurse) at Gwinnett Technical College and her BSN degree at Columbus State University (CSU) in 2020, she is now re-enrolled at CSU to complete her MSN degree with an anticipated graduation in 2023. Connie also maintains both her PCCN and CCRN professional board certifications through the American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN). Leadership is Connie’s passion, and she lives by a famous quote from Kobe Bryant, “The most important thing is to try and inspire people so that they can be great in whatever they want to do.”

Connie is married to Francisco Salmeron, and together they have four beautiful children: Anthony (21), Adrian (15), Andrew (13), and Arianna (6). In her spare time, Connie enjoys just spending time on the farm with their children and miniature collection of farm animals. They also love taking the RV on the road with camping and hiking expeditions.

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For Jaclyn Coppola, medicine and animals have always been passion. “I’ve wanted to work with animals since I was little! Animals and medicine are very interesting to me and I love learning about the medicine around animals! Not only is veterinary technology my passion, but I want to have a voice for those who don’t get to have a voice.”

During the summer of 2017, Jaclyn attended a volunteer veterinary technician experience through Animal Experience International (AEI). Jaclyn ‘s volunteer experience was in Guatemala where she assisted in caring for primates, birds and reptiles. During her trip, she experienced a variety of tasks including assisting in the feeding and caring for animals and hands-on instruction with medical treatments and surgery.

“Gwinnett Tech has the best veterinary tech program. I would never have known about AEI if it weren’t for my vet tech teachers.” Jaclyn resides in Forsyth, Ga however she chose Gwinnett Tech for the vet tech program, learning and hands-on experience she would gain. After graduation, Jaclyn hopes to work in a wildlife facility or a zoo.