When Amy Brown enrolled at Bryan University, she was looking for a change and she said that’s exactly what her experience at BU did — change her life. After completing the Clinical Medical Assisting Certificate program, she enrolled in the Associate Degree in Administrative Medical Assisting program which she graduates from this month! And, she doesn’t want to stop there! She aspires to continue her education journey and eventually earn her Master’s Degree.
She said one of the biggest takeaways from being a student at BU for her was learning to have grit and a growth mindset. She was inspired enough to start reading “Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance” by Angela Duckworth.
“It’s that mindset that they teach you at the beginning of school — building healthy habits and having a growth mindset. Every bit of that and that first eight weeks set me up for success,” she said. “That’s something that I talk with the students about on a daily basis. It’s a great way to see things. It’s a great way to start a whole new journey. I want them to understand that BU is here for your success, just like they were for me.”
In addition to being a student at BU, Amy also works as an academic consultant. She loves being able to share her experience as a student and make a difference for others, like her instructors did for her.
“They make you see things with the right mindset. You know, with persistence and grit, all those things. It makes you unstoppable. I tell people that every day — I feel unstoppable. Bryan University has given me a confidence that I’ve never experienced in my life.”
She recently dealt with a personal situation that impacted her school work and she said she felt embarrassed when she fell behind. Another employee at BU encouraged her to reach out to her instructors and be honest about what she was going through and she said, “they were completely understanding.” One of her teachers was so encouraging it made her emotional.
“I couldn’t get my work done. I just felt awful,” she said. “My teachers were just so uplifting, they said we totally understand, we hope everything gets better, and it made me feel a sense of relief like, it’s gonna be okay. And it made that situation in my personal life not so stressful.”
She said outside of her program, BU also helped her learn the importance of accountability, communication, and being open to asking for help.
“I would just tell students that sometimes we gotta put our pride aside. Despite the fact that maybe we’ve done it our whole lives alone and we’ve had to fight all these battles. At Bryan University you definitely don’t have to do that. You reach out and you ask for help,” she said. “Don’t hesitate to ask. Even some of my students now, they say I just don’t know how to ask for help, I’ve been alone my whole life. But at this university, you don’t have to do that. You don’t have to fight by yourself.”
She said she’s still learning that she can ask for different kinds of help at BU. She recently learned that career services can help students with resources in their own community.
“A lot of students wouldn’t know to just ask. It doesn’t just have to be strictly educational stuff. If you need other help, just ask. The worst they can tell you is no,” she said.
Her advice to anyone considering a program at BU is to just go for it. She said she was initially on the fence about signing up but she just told herself ‘I’m going to do it’ and she did.
“Don’t hesitate. Your future starts today, and that’s some cliche stuff to say, but it’s true,” she said. “There was no guarantee that I would finish. There was no guarantee I would make it through, but I excelled.”
The path for every student is different but with the right mindset success is possible for anyone. Amy found that at Bryan University and you can too! We offer accelerated programs that are aligned with employer needs and include assignments that simulate job tasks so you’re ready to go straight into a career.
Our programs are stackable which means once you complete your certificate, you can get to work sooner while still completing your associate degree. We also include all eBooks and courseware, tutoring and academic support, career services, and a personal success coach in our tuition.
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