From Cattle Ranch to Clinic Care
Hi again! Last time I talked to you all about my first experiences here at the West Clinic and how much of a positive impact this place has had on me already.
Today I would like to tell you all a little more about my background before coming here.
I was born in Grand Junction, Colorado. I grew up in both Grand Junction and Columbus, Montana.
Living in Montana with my mom gave me the opportunity to grow up on a cattle ranch. This taught me a lot about hard work and how having a strong work ethic can be beneficial in future endeavors.
Once I hit my sophomore year of high school, I was really missing my dad. So, I was given a choice to either stay in Montana or move back to Colorado to finish high school. I decided to finish high school in Grand Junction.
When I finished high school, I started working at an assisted living facility, which is when I knew I wanted to continue growing in the health care field. At that point, I went back to school for the first time after high school and got my CNA license. I worked for both the assisted living facility and home health company for another year or so before I started wanting more.
I applied to both major hospitals in Grand Junction, and ended up at Community Hospital as a CNA on their medical-surgical floor. I learned SO much from working there. I worked with many different departments; as we all worked together to take care of patients. During my time there I realized that I didn't want to continue a nursing career but rather start working towards a more natural medicine, such as physical therapy.
This is when I started at Colorado Mesa University for a bachelor's degree in Exercise Science. During my time in college, I wanted to learn as much as I could in the medical field, so I decided to take a phlebotomy course. I was still working at the hospital, and at the time they were in desperate need of phlebotomists.
I started working in their draw station, doing between 30 and 50 blood draws a day. I had so much fun with the fast pace of it all. I absolutely loved it, but I wanted to keep my eye on the prize and keep working hard towards my goal.
Find out on my next blog how I reached my goal and what I did next!
Thanks for reading 😄
-Mariah
