WTI Wichita
 

“It’s pretty much changed my life. This is real life, real people who need help and I get to give them the best care they can get.”~Chanell Sparks

Chanell Sparks was a waitress at a retirement home when she realized her passion for health care. When she toured WTI, she noticed the students were wearing medical scrubs. She was impressed with the atmosphere and teachers.

Today, after earning her Medical Assistant certification, she works as a registered medical assistant at Wichita Clinic in Andover, checking in patients, taking vital signs, giving injections and EKGs, and refilling medications. She is also looking into going back for her LPN.

“It’s not easy,” said Chanell. “It took sacrifice but the best part about it for me is that I finished. When I set my mind to do something, I do it and I don’t give up.”

“The teachers are awesome. They gave me a lot of confidence and to be honest, I wish they had a more advanced program because I really prefer not to go to any other school.”~Jordan Howard

Jordan Howard went to the dentist one day and landed his first contract IT client. Still excited from his recent graduation in Computer Integration Technology, he talked about his training in an industry he loves. Somewhere between the routine cleaning and X-rays, he landed his first outsourced IT support client.

Now that’s networking.

“I’ve always liked computers and liked taking things apart, it’s always been a passion of mine,” Jordan said. So far he’s performed a network revamp, added a wireless network, set up a back-up plan, and upgraded the office’s computer hardware.

If you ask Jordan about his experience studying and graduating from WTI, he’ll tell you, “It’s the best thing that happened to me in my life…almost.” Being a husband and a father of three would be the #1.

“I always had a hard time with studying and knowing the next step. This was all laid out for me and I was able to see the goal within a 12-month timeframe.” ~.Kasandra Bogatay

 Kasandra Bogatay knew where she wanted to live even before she knew what she wanted to do with her life. Since spending time in Springfield, Missouri, as a child, she recalled how much it felt like home. So when she began studying in WTI Wichita’s Medical Billing and Insurance Coding program in 2008, she saw it as her ticket back to Springfield.

Today Kasandra is relocated to a city she loves and a career she chose. Her advice to others pondering career change? “Make sure you’re committed and don’t let anything hold you back.”

WTI Topeka

“I watched my classmates, many like myself, go from having little to no medical experience to becoming confident Medical Assistants. If I could take that leap, anyone can.”  ~Kristen Hall

 For Kristen Hall, the decision to return to school came after much soul-searching. A single mother of three at the time, she had spent her career in the financial services industry at a job she did not feel particularly invested in. She had promised herself she would return to school when her youngest started kindergarten.

Kristen had always had a desire to go into the medical profession. It was her new husband, a physician, who talked to her about the demand for Medical Assistants. Having decided on a career, she pondered her choice of schools. “Choosing WTI was a very easy decision,” said Kristen. “The school was very professional and the staff was by far the friendliest of all the schools I had interviewed.”

As she continued with her studies, Kristen grew to respect the knowledge and patience of the instructors. Upon graduation, she was delighted to receive an invitation to join the WTI faculty as a teaching assistant in the Medical Assistant program.

WTI Joplin

“W.T.I prepared me for my certifications needed to gain employment in the IT field”~Bill Boles

 Bill Boles worked for a local manufacturer for 8 years before they shut down production and laid off all their employees. Bill knew he needed to become re-employed in a promising field where he could make a good wage and support his family.

As WTI’s first graduate of the Computer Technology program, Bill not only completed his course in Computer Technology but he also achieved his A+, Network +, Microsoft Certified Professional and J-Standard certifications. After graduation, he was persistent in his pursuit of a new career and worked closely with the WTI Career Services. Bill interviewed for a few jobs and then one day called Stephen Gillmore with WTI Career Services to say that he had received a job offer from Ducommun Aero Structure. In addition to a generous compensation package, Bill was also offered great benefits and some extra perks as well.

Bill also has some advice for future students. “Work hard and study and it will pay off in the end” What does Bill think of his new job? “I’m loving it”

WTI Tulsa

“It was a lot of work but it paid off in a relatively short amount of time. Life is way too short to do something you’re miserable at. You have to do something that makes you happy.” ~David Lacey

 A radio commercial, years of nights and weekends in restaurant management, and a supportive WTI staff led David Lacey to his career as a heating and air technician. Now, a year after WTI Director Todd Edwards set him up on an interview at Custom Heating & Air – a job he landed – he feels he has his life back.

“I think my new career is good. There’s a lot of opportunity for me which is a main reason I chose it. I can work for someone or go out on my own,” said David. With the focused skill training at WTI, he developed tools for creating positive impressions and advancing in business. He also found the atmosphere inspiring at WTI, where he was in training with other students who were striving for a better life and focused on their goal.

David is still in close contact with his teachers and WTI staff, people he says who were a big influence in his life. Instructors Mike Mahaffey and Curt Nevins continue to be trusted advisors he feels comfortable calling any time. He is happy to be working for a great company. “They hired me as a helper and now, just over a year later, I’ve got my own truck and they’ve put me in a position to succeed.”