凯伦·佩雷斯
Herzing校友
校友 关注的焦点
凯伦·佩雷斯 knows about the profound impact that quality care can have on those in need; she’s watched those she loves live without it. Her brother's inadequate experience in a nursing home inspired her to pursue a healthcare career, where she could help others to locate the compassionate care that her brother did not receive.
“Seeing my brother move from nursing home to nursing home without receiving the care he deserved was frustrating, 令人心碎的, 并最终激励,凯伦分享道。. “It fueled my drive to join this in-dem和 field; I just needed to find the right degree 和 the path that was right for me.”
After seeing Herzing’s integration of psychology 和 social work into their healthcare curriculum, she knew that a degree from Herzing encompassed everything she wanted. 她进入了赫zing学院 医疗行政管理计划. This online degree allowed Karen to have flexibility without sacrificing high-quality education.
“作为一个有全职工作的单身妈妈, it was important to me that I was at a school that could accommodate my busy schedule,凯伦分享道。. “My professors 和 counselors went above 和 beyond to ensure that I felt supported throughout the entire experience. 如果没有他们，我根本应付不来.”
然而,, 凯伦不只是“处理”她的课程, 她擅长这些, making the President’s List three times 和 the Dean’s List once. Her passion, drive 和 talent resulted in her earning multiple academic scholarships. These scholarships helped her exp和 the opportunities available to her 和 created solutions to afford her higher education.
“The assistance 和 backing that I received at Herzing showed me the value of asking for help 和 having a strong support system,凯伦说. “Being able to manage my time allowed me to effectively balance my responsibilities, including prioritizing every free moment I could with my son.
Being a positive example for her son was also a major motivator for Karen to continue working hard, 即使在最艰苦的情况下.
“I can’t be hard on my son for not earning good grades if I’m not earning those grades myself,凯伦说. “He was a huge motivation for me, but I wanted to prove to myself that I could do this. 我从来都不是一个模范学生, so I saw this as an opportunity to challenge myself 和 grow as a result.”
像许多成人学习者一样, Karen graduated with more than just classroom knowledge - she gained valuable life experience that aids her in her professional career. 甚至在她来赫兹之前, Karen began a career working as a teaching assistant at a nonprofit youth mental health rehabilitation center. There, she worked with students suffering from mental illness, many of whom she empathized with.
“These kids have the mindset that I did in high school, that school sucks 和 it isn’t important. I tell them not to wait as long as I did to start trying 和 to apply themselves,” she said. “I want to give them the same chance that Herzing gave me, 为他们提供成功的所有工具.”
While classes like psychology 和 healthcare management gave Karen the skills to thrive in her career, 她最引以为傲的是旅行本身.
“回到学校让我更了解自己, 也让我成为了更好的学生领袖,凯伦解释道. “Herzing showed me how much a dedicated support system can have in impacting a student’s success. I want to demonstrate that same support for my students 和 instill the motivation 和 drive that I found in myself.”