When Maggie S. moved from Ohio to the Dallas area in 2019, she was ready to build a new life with her husband and two children. Not long after, she was divorced, lost her job and fell on tough times.
But now she is looking for a future career in the healthcare field, thanks to Concorde Career College, Grand Prairie and her own unwavering determination.
“No matter what we go through, we have to keep pressing,” she said. “We can’t stop.”
Unexpected changes
Maggie was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio, and several of her family members worked in the medical field.
She worked in registration for both a hospital and autism clinic in her area, and was focused on helping people who came into those facilities. She knew many of them entering the facilities might be concerned or afraid and she made sure to set a positive tone for them.
“I know what it feels like when you walk into those doors,” she said. “You’re not coming in there because you want to.”
She moved to Texas with her husband and two children – a 21-year-old and 3-year-old. The couple split up soon after and Maggie and her children went to live on their own. She then found a job and started to pursue a diploma in Medical Office Administration at Concorde.
But as Maggie described it, “If you haven’t seen any obstacles, just wait until you want to do something in your life. That’s when you’ll see the obstacles.”
Once the coronavirus pandemic hit, she was furloughed from her job. She became homeless and lived in a shelter with her 3-year-old after her older child went back to Ohio.
“During that time I reached out to my student advisor at Concorde, feeling alone, scared, and ashamed. All of those feelings were taking over,” she said. “There were times I wanted to give up and felt I couldn’t go any further. But something happened with the support system I had at Concorde – they had faith, and gave me strength.”
Maggie was determined to stay in school, even as she spent a couple of months in a homeless shelter. She now has a job and her own place.
“The people at Concorde have been my biggest cheerleaders,” she said. “They reminded me of the person I was when I first walked in this door and the fire I had to make it.”
Back on track
Maggie brims with enthusiasm and determination as she starts her first externship, one of the last steps before she graduates in early 2021. She will work for a company that makes sure doctors’ offices are paid by insurance companies.
She enjoys learning about how the billing system works. “I always wanted to know the complexities of it,” Maggie said. “What does this mean? What am I paying for? How did they determine this is what I need to pay? It’s interesting for me to find that out.”
Her longer term goal is to work in medical billing and coding, but “that’s not something that happens overnight,” she said. “This is a process. I look forward to working in doctors’ offices, and being the front-end person.”
Given all of her life experiences, Maggie knows she will be able to connect with people who visit the office, even if they’re scared. “I know what it feels like.”
