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In hindsight,
reflects Katrina Autry, maybe she should have listened to her
mom and started college right out of high school.
“At that time, you don’t have as many responsibilities, no kids,
no carpooling,” says the 29-year-old wife and mother of two.
“But on the other hand, coming back to school when you’re a
little older is more of an accomplishment in some ways. You have
to become really good at time management when you’re a working
mom because taking care of the kids, the house, and your school
work can get crazy. And every day is different.”
Still, Autry says that she’s very glad to be in school, right
now, pursuing an associate degree in Health Information
Management, with the goal of one day becoming certified with the
National Cancer Registry.
“Cancer is prominent in my family,” she says of her interest in
working with medical records on the disease.
“At the time that I became interested in working toward a degree
in Health Information Management, I was told that there are six
job openings for every graduate in the field. So it looks like
there’s a strong demand for that degree.” |
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When she graduates from
Dalton State in May, Autry will enroll at the Medical College of
Georgia and take classes online toward her bachelor’s degree,
and she hopes to do her field work at Hamilton Medical Center or
another area hospital.
She says she’s not worried about finding a job when she does
complete her education. She expects to start out working in a
hospital records department, but would be open to eventually
working in any kind of government job or even the CDC. And if
the opportunity to travel comes along, the former “military
brat” says she’ll be packed and ready to go.
Born in Germany, Autry has lived with her parents in
Massachusetts, Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. Since her
marriage to Georgia native Rickie Autry, she has lived in
Colorado, Wisconsin, and Oklahoma.
“But Georgia is home now,” she says.
In fact, Georgia has become the family home to her younger
sister as well. Chandra, two years her junior, is married to
Rickie’s brother, Adam.
Both Katrina and Chandra were Thompsons growing up, and are now
both Autrys. Their unique kinship, sisters married to brothers,
makes their two children apiece “double cousins.”
“Our families have even lived together as families several
times, and our children are more like siblings than cousins,”
says Autry. Her daughter Cobi Lynn and niece Amber are both aged
nine. Her son Gage is four, and her nephew Dustin is five.
Dalton State is a family affair as well. Like her older sister,
Chandra will graduate from Dalton State in May but with a degree
in Respiratory Therapy. Rickie is pursuing a psychology degree
from Dalton State as well.
“I love it here,” says Katrina, who manages to work more than 16
hours per week in the Financial Aid Office as a student aid.
“The professors are awesome, and I have the opportunity to
interact with many of them through the Financial Aid Office. I
have had an advantage over many other students of getting to
know so many of them through my work.”
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