UEI Student Takes Long-Awaited Step Toward a Career in Healthcare

For years, Melissa Schobert thought about returning to school, but finding the right time was difficult. There were bills to pay, jobs to work and uncertainty about what she wanted to study. After years away from the classroom, it was easy to keep putting her plans off.

“I’ve always kind of wanted and thought about going back to school for years,” Melissa said. “I just never really knew exactly what I wanted to do and just didn’t really feel like I had the time.”

Then Melissa watched her son complete the Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) program at UEI College in Stockton With encouragement from her husband, Princeton, she began seriously exploring her own educational options.

Melissa had always been interested in healthcare, but she knew working with needles and drawing blood weren’t for her. When she discovered UEI’s Medical Office Specialist program, she realized there was another path into the medical field.

“I thought, ‘There is an option for me to work in the medical field without having to do that,'” she said.

Melissa enrolled and now, while balancing work and raising her 2-year-old daughter, she’s approaching the end of the program and has earned a place on the President’s List following every module.

Her only regret, she said, is that she didn’t enroll sooner.

Discovering a Place in Healthcare

Before enrolling at UEI, Melissa held a variety of jobs, including several years in retail and time working as a behavioral aide at a school.

After giving birth to her daughter in July 2024, she stepped away from work for a period to focus on her growing family. Still, the desire to pursue a long-term career remained.

Healthcare had interested Melissa since childhood. At one point, she even considered becoming a veterinarian, but her discomfort with needles and blood made her hesitant to pursue a career in the medical field.

“I just can’t stomach all that stuff,” she said.

Discovering UEI’s Medical Office Specialist program helped change her perspective. She realized she could prepare for a healthcare career focused on the administrative side of a medical office, where she could help patients navigate their appointments and serve as a welcoming first point of contact.

“When you’re the first person they talk to, you get to help set things up for them,” Melissa said. “That first contact is so important.”

Her son’s successful experience at UEI gave her additional confidence, but she still worried about the financial challenges of returning to school.

“I was like, ‘Well, I don’t know,'” she said. “The money situation is like, I need money now. Going back to school is not going to help the situation with money.”

Ultimately, Melissa decided that investing in her education was a step worth taking.

Giving It 100%

Returning to school after years away required some adjustment, especially while balancing a job and the responsibilities of raising a young child. Melissa credits the support of her family and UEI instructors with helping her make the transition.

“I think just with the support, knowing you have a supportive teacher and a supportive family behind you, it helps a lot,” she said.

Melissa is particularly grateful for her instructor, Tonia Sood, whom she describes as energetic, caring and always willing to take extra time to help students understand the material.

“If you need her, if you don’t understand something, she’s very hands-on,” Melissa said. “If you need somebody to talk to, she’s there.”

With that support, Melissa has excelled academically. Despite balancing school, work and family life, she has earned a place on the President’s List following every module of her program.

For Melissa, those accomplishments represent more than good grades. They reflect the commitment she made to herself when she decided to return to school.

“Knowing that I’m giving 100% of it all is an accomplishment for me,” she said. “No matter what I do, I try to give 100%.”

Now, she’s keeping an open mind about where she would like to work, but she’s excited about the possibilities ahead. Most importantly, she’s proud of how far she’s come.

“I accomplished something,” Melissa said. “I look forward to the day I graduate to know that I did it. Through everything, I made it.”

And for anyone considering a similar journey, Melissa hopes her experience serves as encouragement to take that first step.

“The hardest part was making the choice to just go back to school,” she added. “You’ve got to be that person that’s ready to take that step. I wish I would have done it a long time ago.”