Lanae

Medical Assistant Program Graduate

“I got myself a good-paying job. And, from here, I can move on up.”

After graduating high school, Lanae shared her interest in pursuing a medical career with her family. However, the cost of tuition made it impossible for her to enroll. Struggling financially, she wasn’t able to take on student loan debt or pay out-of-pocket for training. Then her aunt told her about the ECAT certified medical assistant program, which is tuition-free training thanks to support from HHF.

“At first, I didn’t believe it. I thought there had to be a catch,” Lanae said of the no-cost program.

Lanae seized the opportunity to enroll. After graduation, she secured a position at UPMC Hamot at the Lakeview Urologic Surgeons office. “I got myself a good-paying job. And, from here, I can move on up.”

Lanae would love to continue her education in the future and dreams of enrolling in the Jameson School of Nursing at UPMC Hamot to acquire her RN diploma.

For now, she is ecstatic about her MA position. She especially loves “the patient interactions, being able to put a smile on their face” and helping patients with whatever they need.

The MA program offered Lanae an accessible pathway to career training, which would not have been possible otherwise.