Briya hosts college and career panel for medical assistant students and alumni

“Our immediate goal may be to train people to be medical assistants, but our ultimate aim is to help people achieve their big dreams, no matter what those dreams may be,” said Reena Gadhia, manager of Briya’s Medical Assistant (MA) Program, as she reflected upon the first MA College and Career Panel Briya hosted.

During the panel, three speakers presented information about health care career pathways, college admissions, and scholarships, with the goal of helping attendees understand and envision possibilities for their future. The panel’s audience included current students and alumni from Briya’s MA Program, as well as medical assistants from Mary’s Center and additional interested Briya students.

The first speaker was Michelle Dorsey, an educational counselor at the College Board, who detailed how her organization helps students access higher education through scholarships and admissions processes. Tiffany Solis, from Trinity Nursing School, and Jason Williams, of the Workforce Development and Lifelong Learning Division at University of District of Columbia, presented on the opportunities offered by their respective institutions.

“I think the panel had a great impact on the students,” said Beth Kushner, Briya’s Transitions Coordinator. “It’s easy to talk about college and write it down as a goal, but to actually meet those who are involved in the everyday college process brings a necessary realness.”

At the end of their presentations, each speaker engaged with the audience for a question-and-answer session. The event concluded with students having one-on-one time with panelists, allowing them to get answers to their specific questions and concerns.

Gadhia hopes that information from the panel will help Briya’s students achieve their goals and, ultimately, have a positive effect on the health care field. “The diversity these students can bring as well-trained, bilingual, and ethnically and culturally diverse health care workers is enormous,” she said. “Their success can be a powerful change agent!”