Meet Amanda Wilson – Asher College Graduate

Amanda Wilson began working in office administration when she was 15 years old. After years of experience, Amanda lost her job and found herself seeking a total career change. She began to reevaluate her life and look for a new direction. That new direction led her to Asher College.

Amanda took the time to talk about her experiences.

What set you on your new path?

I decided I needed to make a change. But I wanted help, so I began by questioning all my family members. I asked them if they could place me anywhere, where would be my ideal placement? Surprisingly they all said medical. I knew that it would be a complete career change, but I still pursued it.

When did you decide you needed to go back to school?

After I lost my job as office manager, I was almost unemployed for two years. Everything I was applying for and interviewing for wasn’t up to par with the level of my experience. And I still wasn’t getting any hits. I had massive amounts of experience but no degree. I am a mother of three children and I couldn’t afford to not have income coming in.

While I was unemployed I was working through the Texas Workforce Commission and they had the option of further educational job-training. That is where I was introduced to Asher.

Why did you choose Asher?

It was close by and promoted by the Texas Workforce Commission. But I also liked that it wasn’t a large educational institution and more personal. I walked in and it was a family. And they made the students feel that way too. The vibe was very nurturing. What sealed the deal for me is that the advisor also asked me if I had ever considered medical! The advisor showed me what options were available. I got enrolled in the medical Health Information Specialist program in March and graduated in November.

Describe your experience at Asher?

There were goals that were set for you. They want you to move at your own pace – whatever you were comfortable with – but with expectations and deadlines. The staff was great. They would communicate with each other and determine where students stood and if there were any issues they could help with. And they would do what was needed to be done to help support the students. Even though I am not in school, I know the staff is still there to help me. I know that I could pick up the phone and ask their advice.

There were goals that were set for you with expectations and deadlines. The staff was great. They would communicate with each other and determine where students stood and if there were any issues they could help with. And they would do what was needed to be done to help support the students. Even though I have graduated, I know the staff is still there to help me. I know that I could pick up the phone and ask their advice.

 How is Asher different from other education institutions you attended?

I had attempted online courses before. But the online schools, at the time, had no available face-to-face resources. I desperately needed that at times. You can only communicate so well via email. That was something that really drew me to Asher…that it was small enough that you could get that one-on-one attention when you need it.

What are you doing now?

I work as a medical collector for intraoperative monitoring claims. And the owner of the company I work for actually went to Asher College to find more employees like me.

What advice would you give someone considering going back to school?

Everything new can be overwhelming. It is a matter of perspective. But I really am pleased that I listened to other people and their advice. There are a lot more doors I can walk through now. I can go more into the medical field if I chose. And Asher has provided this great foundation to build off of.

Would you recommend Asher College?

I would absolutely recommend Asher. I don’t have a bad moment or thing to say about Asher. I rave about how personable they are. It was scary for me going back to school at 35, but there were people there that were the same age, older and younger than me. It didn’t matter. And everyone was treated the same. Asher staff is all there to help and they never push you aside or treat you like a number. I would do it all over again.