Nineteen medical assistant students graduate from Briya
“Reach for the sky and while you are doing so, help as many people as you can,” said Wendy Evora, valedictorian of Briya’s second medical assistant class.
Evora was addressing her eighteen fellow MA graduates, who celebrated their accomplishments during a ceremony this winter.
Christie McKay, Executive Director of Briya, welcomed the group and offered congratulations and encouragement.
“You have chosen an important field because health is really the foundation for everyone to be happy and to have successful lives,” McKay said. “And you are going to contribute to that. You have chosen a field not just to learn but to help others, to help society and to help the world.”
Dara Koppelman, Chief Nursing Officer at Mary’s Center, also spoke to the graduates.
“Since the inception of the Briya MA program, we at Mary’s Center have hired eight MA graduates,” Koppelman said. “Overseeing the department, I’ve seen that these MAs are some of the most amazing employees in all of Mary’s Center. They’re hard working, they’re intelligent—they’re really amazing.”
During the ceremony, students were recognized for their outstanding achievements. The fourteen graduates who took the national Registered Medical Assistant exam—210 challenging questions in 2 hours—all passed on their first attempt, making them nationally certified medical assistants. The remaining graduates are scheduled to take the exam in the upcoming months.
In addition, five students were honored for perfect attendance—they didn’t miss a single class period all year. Six students graduated with honors, finishing the course with a cumulative GPA of over 90%. Six of the students have already been offered jobs as MAs.
During her valedictorian speech, Evora stressed the importance of the supportive environment that she experienced as a Briya student.
“At Briya, I found not just the highest quality of education … but also a community of people who really care,” Evora said. “That is what has kept me working harder and harder because you cannot find that anywhere else.”
“Thank you, Briya, for caring,” she concluded. “Thank you.”