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Mary Jean McGuffey |
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Mary Jean McGuffey feels very blessed.
In addition to a happy marriage and home life, she is about to
enrich her life even further by earning a Certificate in Medical
Assisting from a college in her new country, a step that she
feels will lead to a fulfilling career.
“I feel so blessed by this opportunity to be at Dalton State
College,” says McGuffey, 35, who is a native of Tayasan Negros
Oriental in the Philippines.
“All of the teachers here are very nice. And the United States
has so many tremendous opportunities when it comes to jobs.”
In her native country, McGuffey earned a certificate as a
nurse’s aide. She then traveled to Hong Kong where she worked as
an aide for five years for a Canadian-Chinese family.
“I met my husband on a boat as I was going back home to Tayasan
Negros Oriental from Hong Kong,” recalls McGuffey, who says that
during the two-day trip she struck up a friendship with Harold
McGuffey, whose work in the telecommunication industry had taken
him overseas. |
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“We exchanged information and began communicating over the
internet,” she says, noting that two years later, in 2001, she
came to the U.S. on a K-1 Visa that allowed her to remain in the
States after she and Harold married.
“When I first came, I felt so happy and excited to be here and
learning about this new environment and culture,” she says. “The
biggest surprise to me was the way people live. There is so much
freedom here.”
The McGuffeys, who live in Calhoun, are the parents of Whitney
Jean, who is four years old. When Harold retired, he encouraged
his wife to continue her education while he cares for their
daughter during the day.
“He suggested that I take the opportunity to take more
training,” she says, noting that she chose to enroll at Dalton
State in Medical Assisting.
McGuffey can’t say enough about her experience thus far.
“It’s hard to explain. It’s a wonderful feeling being at Dalton
State College,” she says. “I’m so happy to be here. The teachers
are so very nice, and they are very approachable.”
She finds that she has especially enjoyed learning new medical
terms in her Medical Terminology class. She’s also enjoyed
performing her clinical experience at OWASA Family Medicine in
Calhoun.
“When I finish school in January, I would really like to work in
family clinic medicine,” she says, adding that “it’s a good
feeling to help people who are in need.”
As a Medical Office Assistant, she expects that she will help
assess patients who are waiting to see the doctor, and she will
help prioritize patient needs and scheduling.
And while she’s excited about beginning her career, she says she
hasn’t ruled out the possibility of coming back to Dalton State
for further education down the road.
“Maybe one day I’ll go back to school to become an RN
(Registered Nurse),” she says. “Whatever I do, I know I can help
other people who are in need.”
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