Unitek College alumni are doing interesting and amazing things all over the Bay Area. Here's a small sample of Unitek College graduates who are making significant strides in their professional field and/or community.

Want to be featured? Or know of an alumnus we should feature? Call us at 888-735-4355

Michelle Lee

Licensed Vocational Nurse

Michelle Lee had been selling cars at a Mercedes Benz dealership, when she woke up one day and realized that it just wasn't working for her. She didn't enjoy her job, which was all about making the sale and getting the paycheck. Although equipped with a bachelors, masters, and P.H.D in Biopsychology, her attempt at medical school was badly tainted with memories of working on cadavers. But her most memorable position was working with autistic children. It was time to give healthcare another shot.

Being the kind of person who seeks instant gratification, Michelle didn't want to wait on a list to become a nurse nor did the lucky of a lottery system appeal to her. After touring various private technical colleges in the Bay area, Michelle settled her sights on Unitek College. Why? "I felt like the Educational Advisor answered all my questions and alleviated any fears I had. Other schools were more focused on making the sell."

During the program, she established a very strong tie with one of instructors who was even there during some of the most crucial moments in Michelle's life. They still keep in touch.

Michelle graduated in May of 2009, and now works full time at California Community Operations. The nine months between graduation and employment was spent applying to various positions and working her externship with Interim. Although nine months may seem like a long period of time, Michelle had certain standards for her employment and would turn down a job that didn't fit. Many fellow graduates took the first job offered, but Michelle waited patiently and feels that she was better for it. "There is no more complaining about my job. I feel like I have real job security, and at the end of the day I know I am making a difference, not just a paycheck."

The Sallie Mae loans, which covered Michelle's training, have already been paid off and she is now considering returning to school for her R.N.. She may very well return to Unitek College, unless she decides to go for her B.S.N.

Michelle is currently the only medical person on staff other than the doctors. She acts as a liaison between the clients she serves, and their specialists or primary care physicians. It's a stressful job, but Michelle enjoys it; she is the Gate Keeper.

Best Advice: If you're training for strictly monetary reasons, this is the wrong place for you. The money is there.. but at the end of the day you need to want to care for people.

Jen Freeman

Licensed Vocational Nurse

Jen Freeman, who graduated from Unitek College's LVN program, had her eye on the ball from the very beginning. "I was standing in the ICU at a Children's Hospital with my son when I first realized I wanted to be a Nurse," Jen explains. The only thing holding her back was her full-time position as Mom to four kids; she had to juggle her time wisely. As we catch up with our LVN graduate, she is exactly where she envisioned herself: working at the Children's Recovery Hospital in Campbell. A job she acquired within a week of gaining her temporary license. In the following interview, Jen reminisces about her experience at Unitek College and the role it played in bringing her vision to life.

So, why Unitek College? "It was good marketing on your part," she comments. "I never seriously looked anywhere else." The campus's location in her hometown provided the ultimate convenience. She laughs as she describes her first encounter with our admission representatives, who had only the time to tell her how much it would cost before the conversation ended. But after considering the perks of an accelerated program with no wait time, Jen enrolled. "How long would I wait somewhere else?" she asks.

Jen found the curriculum understandably challenging since she had no medial experience (the endocrine system proved difficult in particular). However, she dealt with these using two methods. The first was that she followed the program laid out before her to the letter; soaking up her education in large quantities by frequently re-reading chapters and taking every opportunity to dive in. "A lot of people like to watch while others go first... but not me. I went first because I wanted the experience," she explains.

The second method enabled Jen to really explore her passion for giving care. Instead of thinking of her education as a list of key terms or clinical diagnostics, she related them to people. As she describes, "I thought of these lessons as my patients, and I want to save their lives... so I have to know this information." She also believes that it's this passion which gets a Nurse to work every day, and there is no reason to become a Nurse other than the intention of making a difference in people's lives. Sometimes it's a small difference, like the painting the nails on her patient and sometimes it's much larger; such as changing the outcome of events in more critical patients. There is a future for here for her in pediatrics, but not as an LVN; Jen plans to continue her education and gain her registered nursing license.

Thuy Huynh

Pharmacy Technician

Thuy is a man of many hats, but none fit him quite so well as his certification as a Pharmacy Technician. Born in Vietnam and raised in the South Bay, California, Thuy has walked different paths in his search for a career which started as a degree in kinesiology (specialization Athletic Training), Information Technology during the dotcom boom, and before beginning his training at Unitek College, Thuy worked in Real Estate. When asked why he chose to train as Pharmacy Technician at Unitek College he replies, "I had a friend at Unitek College's Medical Assisting program who referred me. I've always been interested in pharmaceuticals since partaking in Magnet program in high school."

The biggest challenge for Thuy was overcoming his fear of the board test, where proper preparation is key. This wasn't too difficult to manage, as he felt inspired by his teacher Dante; "he made you want it," he exclaims. Dante's attentive teaching style made Thuy feel that he was aptly prepared for the exam. And nothing is better proof of his claim than his current employment at the in-patient pharmacy at UCSF a mere 6 weeks after his graduation. He also credits his success to a confident group of classmates, and that their interaction during his training made him feel comfortable. Ultimately, this created an easier training environment where he could focus on the task at-hand. Thuy looked forward to his externship at Kaiser Permanente and is sensitive to the nervousness that potential students feel while facing this training requirement, but wants students to know that "After the first week, it gets easier. Don't feel overwhelmed."

For anyone out there who is on the fence about whether or not they should pursue healthcare training, Thuy points out the less than obvious benefit; developing social skills. In a fast-paced healthcare environment, you are continuously interacting with the general public and dealing with people becomes effortless. He also was a fan of Unitek College's circular training; meaning, you can enter the program when you're ready, and your lessons come full circle-- you create your own start time.

Thuy is extremely satisfied with the direction his career has taken, and is happy living in San Francisco. He feels that his Pharmacy Technician training at Unitek College has opened the door to a whole different world full of diversity. And while he has no current plans to continue his education, his adaptive personality may see him to Pharmacy school in the future.

Helen Tsao

Medical Assistant 

Helen knew since college, where she attained a bachelor in Neuroscience, that she wanted a career in the healthcare field. Although first involving herself with research, she craved a more hands-on approach.

When first beginning her Medical Assisting training, Helen was intimidated by the idea of giving shots and drawing blood. It's an invasive procedure, and all students are haunted by medical procedures gone wrong. But with the support of Dr. Midue, an instructor for the MA program, Helen was able to overcome this challenge. Dr. Midue provided excellent feedback and helped Helen strengthen her weaknesses during blood draws. This one-on-one attention gave Helen every opportunity to perfect her techniques and feel comfortable with a syringe.

During her externship at Asian Americans for Community Involvement, Helen was shown the ropes and describes it as "a lot of fun." In fact, she clicked so well with AACI, that she was hired as soon as her externship ended and went full-time in April. Helen finds herself much more comfortable with people in general and her current position has done wonders for her social-skills. Helen plans to "sit still" and gain more field experience.

To anyone who is currently debating about entering the healthcare field, Helen encourages them, "it doesn't hurt to try!" Unitek College's unique stop-payment agreement allows students to leave if they have second thoughts, without holding them to the entire tuition. Let's face it-- the healthcare field is just not for everyone. Additionally, Helen advises students to clear their heads and work their hardest; "Put your heart into it!" Your success depends on your drive, which is a direct reflection of how bad you want it.

Johnny Ray

Fed-up with the job search and unsure of his path to employment, Johnny Ray took a walk one day and discovered a career at Unitek College, literally. As a recent immigrant from China, Johnny Ray's background includes teaching; specifically, teaching English to Chinese students. However, he was appalled to learn that teachers don't earn a large salary here in the States. Spending four years in college was not an attractive option, so the relatively short Medical Assistant career track at Unitek College proved to be a wise investment. It was almost as simple as checking out the current salaries for Medical Assistants (which is $35,000 and currently experiencing an upward trend in the Bay Area, California).

Medical Assisting spoke to Johnny Ray on many levels. Although he never put his faith in Western Medicine on a whole, the opportunity to communicate with the public by listening and observing appealed to this insightful and empathetic young man. So in-tune with people's perceptions, Johnny Ray feared only that he would make a mistake. But how did he overcome those shaky hands?

"I still experience them in a different form," he explains. "But you have to face them head-on, like a boxer. Don't dodge… study- punch back. Ask yourself how you can be better," referring to the technique behind blood draws, which is probably the most invasive procedure performed by a medical assistant. Part of building this confidence came from his teachers. M.A. Instructor Lisa Saldana was able to give Johnny Ray the personal attention he required to raise his skill level.

Johnny Ray is a no-excuse kind of guy. If you are on the fence about healthcare training, he says poignantly "Do it for the good money. Undecided sounds like an excuse to me." Couple this determined attitude with his empathetic nature and well-honed skills… well, it was no wonder that he landed a job at the same place he did his externship: Tri City Healthcare.

This position is worth almost more than money to Johnny Ray, who relishes the interactions he has with the general public. Tri City Healthcare is a clinic that caters to citizens without medical insurance and is a soft point for Johnny Ray. While Johnny Ray has no current plans to continue his education, he does contemplate a career in Nursing. It's possible we'll see him again here at Unitek College. But for now, we wish Johnny Ray the best of luck with his future.