For Yiesha January, earning her degree was non-negotiable. With three young children and a full-time job, she was also firm that her degree program would need to be flexible and allow her to pursue a career in health care.
Health Services Administration, a 小蝌蚪APP online degree program, seemed to fit the bill.
It only took one class for January to find she was exactly where she wanted to be.
小蝌蚪APP淚 couldn小蝌蚪APP檛 go on campus with my work schedule and raising a family,小蝌蚪APP she says. 小蝌蚪APP淲hen I got into HSA and took the first class, I loved it.小蝌蚪APP
January worked full-time as a certified nursing assistant in a New Iberia nursing home. She says she wanted to do more, and HSA gave her that opportunity.
小蝌蚪APP淲orking in a nursing home and being around administration and different areas of health care drove me to that program,小蝌蚪APP she says. 小蝌蚪APP淓very course proved to me why I needed to be there.小蝌蚪APP
Because she was already in a healthcare setting, January was able to immediately make connections from the theories and lessons in her online courses to real-world applications. One of those courses emphasized emergency management.
小蝌蚪APP淚 was able to apply that to putting an emergency preparedness plan in place for the nursing home,小蝌蚪APP she says. 小蝌蚪APP淚t prepared me for the reality of it.小蝌蚪APP
Students complete online courses in healthcare management, health information systems, finance, leadership, health care policy, and strategic management, among others.
January says those courses prepared her to be more than an administrator. They prepared her to lead.
小蝌蚪APP淭hat was a big one because at the time I didn小蝌蚪APP檛 know what being a leader really required,小蝌蚪APP she says. 小蝌蚪APP淵ou can be a boss, but a being leader makes a difference.小蝌蚪APP
As a full-time student, nursing assistant, and parent, January also had to develop a skillset specifically for managing her online coursework.
It was a steep learning curve.
小蝌蚪APP淚 missed my first exam,小蝌蚪APP she says. 小蝌蚪APP淎fter that, I made sure I was on time and very detailed. You have to plan, prioritize, have a calendar and stick to it. It goes by very fast; you have to be very organized in online courses.小蝌蚪APP
January says she made a habit of reviewing or completing something each day in each of her courses.
小蝌蚪APP淚小蝌蚪APP檇 do notecards one day, textbook reading the next day 小蝌蚪APP you have to stay involved with each course, each day,小蝌蚪APP she says. 小蝌蚪APP淎t one point I was taking six courses at a time. You can get off track and lose out on something, so it小蝌蚪APP檚 very important to stay on top of it and find time wherever you can.
小蝌蚪APP淵ou have to be really dedicated.小蝌蚪APP
But January is also dedicated to her family, which meant finding ways to study without taking quality time from her three young children.
小蝌蚪APP淚 had to kind of teach them when you want something you have to go for it, but you have to make time for family,小蝌蚪APP she says. 小蝌蚪APP淭hey小蝌蚪APP檙e the most important thing to me.
小蝌蚪APP淚 wanted to show them you can be anything you want to be. It小蝌蚪APP檚 going to take sacrifices, dedication, and patience. It won小蝌蚪APP檛 come easy and overnight; you have to work hard for it.小蝌蚪APP
January says she fit schoolwork into her lunch breaks, while cooking, after her children were asleep, or early in the morning.
小蝌蚪APP淚t wasn小蝌蚪APP檛 easy, but I managed it,小蝌蚪APP she says. 小蝌蚪APP淚 was taking my books to restaurants, reviewing while we waited for food. I told them it would pay off.
小蝌蚪APP淵ou have to really want it. It小蝌蚪APP檚 so worth it.小蝌蚪APP
That hectic schedule didn小蝌蚪APP檛 keep January from getting involved with the program小蝌蚪APP檚 community outreach efforts. She served as treasurer and then president of the Health Services Administration student organization.
小蝌蚪APP淲e made a difference 小蝌蚪APP we visited Goodwill, we visited the children小蝌蚪APP檚 hospital,小蝌蚪APP she says. 小蝌蚪APP淗SA provides opportunities outside of just being an online student. That小蝌蚪APP檚 what I liked about the program. You were able to be involved even as an online student.小蝌蚪APP
Pursuing her bachelor小蝌蚪APP檚 degree online, January had a clear goal: become a nursing home administrator.
After earning her degree in May 2018, January began applying for hospital and nursing home administration positions and was quickly offered a position at a Baton Rouge nursing home as an assistant administrator.
小蝌蚪APP淎s a CNA, I watched how the administrators handled things. I learned what to do and what not to do,小蝌蚪APP she says. 小蝌蚪APP淚 wanted to become an advocate for residents as well as employees and be of service to people in the nursing home. That小蝌蚪APP檚 what pushed me to that career choice, and HSA really helped me get there.小蝌蚪APP
Now, January is preparing for an exam to become a licensed nursing home administrator in Louisiana. In the meantime, she小蝌蚪APP檚 working toward her next academic milestone through UL Lafayette小蝌蚪APP檚 MBA in Health Care Administration online.
小蝌蚪APP淚小蝌蚪APP檓 enjoying everything I小蝌蚪APP檓 learning; I小蝌蚪APP檓 a learner,小蝌蚪APP she says. 小蝌蚪APP淚 like to learn how to make processes better and work smarter.小蝌蚪APP
January is on track to graduate from UL Lafayette once again in May 2020.