Inspired by her daughter’s medical journey, Ashley Lister overcame obstacles to pursue a career in healthcare at UEI College

Stopping the Excuses, Realizing Success

When she was still pregnant with her oldest daughter, Ashley Lister was told that her child had a rare heart defect and would be born with only half a heart.

“It was heartbreaking for sure,” Ashley said. “You don’t understand why. Is it something you did wrong? Is it something your partner did wrong? What causes a baby to be born with half a heart? It doesn’t make sense.”

For the next 13 months after she was born, Ashley’s daughter lived at Phoenix Children’s Hospital, receiving care to help her heart function normally. It was a challenging time for the family, but it also sparked something deep inside of Ashley.

“The doctors and nurses had so much compassion and sympathy,” she said. “You never want to have your kid in the hospital that long, but they kept you going. They gave you the hope you needed. They were there for any conversation you wanted to have. I slowly started thinking I wanted to be like them.”

While inside Ashley was dreaming of a career in the medical field, her job in the restaurant industry paid enough to keep her comfortable and complacent. For years, she talked herself out of changing careers. The excuses of money, time and training kept her stuck until one late night when she was struggling to sleep.

“I was searching for schools or programs to get me out of the restaurant industry,” Ashley said. “I was tired of working 50 hours and feeling exhausted. I was looking for registered nursing programs, but then medical assisting came up. I had never thought about medical assisting to get my foot in the door. UEI College popped up. I ended up booking an appointment to tour the Mesa campus.”

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During the tour Ashley said she was blown away by how welcoming the staff were. They treated her daughter like family, answered all her questions, and gave her the support she needed.

“At the end of the tour he said to me, ‘You said it yourself that you’re full of excuses. Stop hiding behind your excuses.’ I just thought, he’s right,” Ashley said. She signed up for the Medical Assistant program and started classes the following week.

“I was hesitant because of the work schedule I had and two toddlers and the natural stress you have in life anyways,” Ashley said. “I had Mr. Craig for my instructor for the first mod and he was the reason why I wanted to do so good in school. He captured each one of us in our class. He would keep us busy, hands on. It was something where I would sit down at the end of the day and feel really excited about what I was doing and getting into the medical field. I knew I could do this.”

At the end of her first mod, Ashley had achieved a perfect 100 percent. From then on, she had the confidence to keep pushing forward.

“I thought in the beginning I would do everything I could just to pass,” she said. “Then when I got my first 100 it made me think if I could do it once, let’s keep doing it. Every mod I’ve had I’ve gotten 100 percent. My GPA is a perfect 4.0. I never want to miss school. It has given me the confidence to know nothing can hold me back.”

Ashley graduated with her 4.0 GPA, and her oldest daughter is also doing well. She’s healthy and preparing for kindergarten.

“Don’t give up. Keep pushing,” Ashley said. “There are days when you don’t want to, but you have to remember it’s worth it at the end of the day.”

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