The Surgical Technologist program at American Career College-Orange County now has even more of the latest instruments for students, thanks to a donation facilitated by one of our graduates. Scripps Green Hospital in La Jolla donated more than 1,000 instruments to ACC-OC in April.
“When I found out my hospital would be donating instruments, I asked if we could reach out to my alma mater,” ACC grad and Scripps employee Chertrice Waller, CRCST, CST, shared. “I always try to give back, whether by talking with current students or by helping donate instruments in this case."
Waller graduated from ACC-Orange County’s surgical technologist program in 2012, and is now a sterile processing supervisor at Scripps.
“ACC trained us for the what ifs and I learned opportunity-wise you need to keep your focus, take everything as a life lesson,” Waller shared. “That’s one thing I really liked about the surg tech program at ACC, it’s really versatile and allowed me to go anywhere.”
Less than three months after graduating from ACC, Waller was hired at Scripps as a sterile processing tech and was quickly trained for scrubbing in the operating room. She has since worked her way up to supervisor. Waller was also able to transfer credits from her associate’s degree earned at ACC to her bachelor’s program in business at Grand Canyon University, where she recently graduated.
“I really liked ACC, I liked my classmates and created a lot of good friendships, loved my clinical rotation and now I’m at a great company that really takes care of its employees,” she shared.
And Waller has been able to give back by facilitating the donation of surgical tech equipment to her alma mater.
“We’re really grateful for the equipment donation from Scripps Green Hospital,” Johnny Lacey, director of career services, said. “The equipment sets up our surg tech lab to have some of the most advanced instrumentation.”
