More than 1,100 American Career College graduates gathered with their friends and family this May at the Toyota Arena in Ontario to celebrate the Spring 2023 graduation.
ACC-Los Angeles radiography graduate Gustavo M said he became interested in the healthcare field after breaking his wrist skateboarding as a teenager. While he didn’t enjoy seeing X-rays of his shattered bones when he was injured, Gustavo said he was fascinated by the images and the technology needed to create them.
Gustavo said he earned his degree to help provide for his family and to be a role model for his little sister.
“She's 15 years old right now," he said, "and I want her to look up to me and be like, ‘OK, if he could do it, I can do it as well.’”
Any tough times during school, Gustavo said, were overcome with the help of his family’s support. He encouraged anyone interested in pursuing healthcare to “stick with it, no matter what.”
“Keep going. Eventually it'll pay off,” Gustavo said. “It might be hard with all the clinicals, all the schoolwork but eventually it will pay off. Don’t give up.”
ACC-Orange County pharmacy technician graduate Shally M said she really enjoyed the 9-month program and appreciated the lessons learned during her 320-hour externship.
“Being in an externship was a great experience because of the interaction with the people, the patients,” she said. “I really love that because I really love to just serve the people that are in need.”
After working for insurance companies and in the hospitality industry, ACC-Ontario vocational nursing graduate Christy C said she’s glad to now be in healthcare. Already employed full-time as a registered nurse, Christy is looking forward to continuing her education by earning her bachelor’s degree in nursing with the eventual goal of becoming a family-nurse practitioner.
“People spend several years to find out what they're really passionate about. I am just grateful I found my passion — and if you love helping people, caring for others, I would say nursing is a great career choice,” Christy said. “You might have doubt in yourself, you might be confused at first. That's totally fine. Just remember you are capable of anything.”
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