ACC Student Spotlight: Melissa Brito

As a program ambassador at American Career College-Orange County, Melissa Brito is a resource for her fellow medical assistant students.

"When I first started my medical assistant program I was lost. One of my friends, Ruth, she is also a student ambassador and she was there for me. She helped me and she made me feel more safe, you can say, like she was the person I would go to if I had questions because I was a little scared to ask my instructors," she said.

Eventually, Brito grew more confident in approaching the ACC staff and soon found herself asking her own questions and — eventually — providing other students with answers to their questions. But Brito said she owes her new-found confidence in part to her friend.

"Because of her, I am now a student ambassador," she said.

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Do you have any advice for new students?

"Never give up and always push yourself to be better at whatever you do. And if you have any questions, just go ahead and ask. Don't be afraid and just keep going."

Why do you want to work in healthcare?

"It's a long story. I was diagnosed with asthma when I was younger and my doctor made me promise him once he cured me, he was like 'Promise me you're gonna come back and take over my job. You're gonna do what I do and help people' and I was like 'yeah, of course.' I was maybe 3 years old and now I'm almost 21 and I'm gonna help and change the world, little by little."

Did you every want to quit?

"There is so much information — my head is like throbbing like dude stop but no I don't regret it. I'm glad I chose this field."

What helped get you through the hardest parts?

"My mom. She was like 'you need to just suck it up.This is what you wanted to do so now suck it up' and I was like 'OK, I know.' I've also been helping her a lot. She had a surgery done and I was there for her and now that I'm in a medical field, I know how to do bandaging and change the gauze and I'm like 'This is amazing. Now I get to help my mom,' so that's why I'm gonna keep going forward and I'm not gonna stop."

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