Mom of two juggles priorities to secure perfect attendance in Vista Adult School phlebotomy technician training course
After taking a long absence from the workforce to be a full-time mom—and more than 20 years since she was herself a student—Tiffany Reid realized she needed to find a new path toward career and financial stability. With the help of Vista Adult School’s phlebotomy technician career training program, she embarked on her journey back to the working world.
The California state-approved phlebotomy technician program is one of many fully accredited medical and other career technical education (CTE) programs offered at the adult school. The program at Vista Adult School (VAS) is 12-weeks long and requires a 120-hour externship, during which students observe working professionals and get hands-on training at a local medical facility. After completing these requirements, they can take a test to become a state-certified phlebotomy technician.
“I found myself as a mom of two young kids, and hadn’t worked in a while,” Reid says. “I needed something stable, something that felt like there was some kind of security.”
“I found myself as a mom of two young kids and hadn’t worked in a while. I needed something stable.”
Tiffany Reid, Vista Adult School Graduate, MiraCosta College Student
Raising her two young boys, Reid thought she’d mastered time management and measuring priorities, but her time at Vista showed her that she had more to learn.
Fortunately, the night classes at VAS provided her a bit of flexibility.
“It has definitely been a challenge,” Reid said. “Some days, I didn’t get to see my kids a whole lot, and I had to look at the long-term goal on those nights.”
To efficiently balance these two parts of her life, Reid said constant communication with the teachers at Vista was required, as were childcare backup plans for her kids in case the original plan fell through.
Reid is proud that she completed the phlebotomy technician course with perfect attendance and cherished the externship experience.
“There’s nothing I can compare it to,” she says, adding that it gave her and other students a clear perspective on the field. It also helped answer burning questions about their potential future.
“The externship provided me with some incentives and direction and a lot of people to talk to,” Reid says. “I not only got ideas from professionals but also references, insight and heads up to job openings.”
After graduating from VAS in June, Reid is now continuing her education at MiraCosta College and plans on using her newly gained certification.
“Now that I’m getting into the groove of school, I am going to start picking up a little bit of phlebotomy work on the side as I continue,” Reid says, adding that such side work is encouraged in the last year of the program. “Hopefully, I’ll be using some of those referrals and good recommendations.”
To learn more about Visa Adult School, visit www.vistaadultschool.org.
Written by Chris Woodard
| Regions | Classes |
|---|---|
| Southern California | Careers in Health Care |
