As part of its 50th Anniversary Celebration this year, Brighton center has introduced a “50 Years, 50 Stories” series to highlight some of the customers, volunteers, donors, community partners or supporters who are part of its history.
The Northern Kentucky Tribune has partnered with Brighton Center to share some of those firsthand accounts with our readers.
In the coming weeks, the Trib will publish individual stories that demonstrate the breadth of services Brighton Center provides in Northern Kentucky.
Occasionally some slight edits may be made in the text and, to protect confidentiality, we might only provide the first name of the storyteller.
These testimonials, however, describe some of the programs and services Brighton Center has provided in its first 50 years, in the words of the people who have benefited from them.
“I was barely making ends meet and knew I wanted more.”
My name is Natasha Stockton. I graduated from Brighton Center’s Center for Employment Training (CET) Medical Assisting program in May 2010.
In 2009, as a single mother, I was working at Snappy Tomato Pizza for about five years. It paid the bills and kept my son and me afloat. At that time I was also receiving food stamps, daycare assistance, and a medical card.
I was barely making ends meet and knew I wanted more. I had no benefits and my pay wasn’t going to get much higher.
I wanted to go back to school but required something shorter than a four year program. At the time I was living in Newport, and from word of mouth I heard of Brighton Center’s CET Medical Assisting (MA) program.
I decided to give it a try, but was nervous at the same time.
It would mean I would go to school full-time, Monday through Friday 8:30 am-4:00 pm. How was I going to work? How was I going to pay bills? When would I see my son? There were so many questions and I worried that CET may not work for me.
After debating back and forth I decided to give it a try. I started the MA program in April 2009. I went to school Monday through Friday, and worked one night a week to put money in my pocket. I received K-Tap (which at the time was $275), a medical card, daycare assistance, and food stamps.
All of those things allowed me and my son to live comfortably enough, but it was still stressful because we lived on less than $300 a month. I knew it would all be worth it though as long as I could tough it out.
I enjoyed school. I wanted to be in the medical field my whole life. Everything we did was interesting and fun, it just came natural to me.
At the end of the program, I needed to complete an externship as the final step to graduate the program. I was blessed to find an opening at Doctors Urgent Care in Erlanger. I did all of my hours there.
They had no open positions at the time but the manager told me another location did, and she would put in a good word. I finished the MA program and I was able to secure a position as a Medical Assistant at Doctors Urgent Care in Colerain, OH.
I graduated in May, 2010. At Doctors Urgent Care I was able to obtain my GXMO (general x-ray machine operator) license. I stayed there for about a year and a half until I heard of openings at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. I knew there would be competition for open positions, but I took my chances and applied online.
I received a phone call back asking to set up an interview and ended up interviewing quite a few times with different departments. I eventually landed a position in DDBP (Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics).
I have been there since October 2011, gaining experiences and accepting new responsibilities. I was the first MA to sit on the Ambulatory Education Council, where a selective group of RN’s, management, and myself make decisions and suggestions for the hospital as a whole. I was one of the first groups of MA’s to come into Children’s and since then MA’s are being utilized more and more in ambulatory care.
I have obtained my RMA since I have been here and just recently along with three other co-workers, one of which graduated from CET with me, received an award known as the Imagination and Courage Award. This award is for an individual or team that develops innovative ideas, encourages risk taking, and learns from successes and failures.
We were recognized for the nearly impossible blood draws performed on our patient population (autism and psychiatric). We have developed the reputation as the go to place for kids that are having a very difficult time with blood draws throughout the hospital.
Sharing my story with you leads me to the main point. Almost seven years ago I was making minimum wage getting government assistance and just getting by. But with the help of Brighton Center and the CET program, I am now able to have a career.
I have benefits for my two sons and myself. I no longer receive state assistance. I own my own car and just recently bought my first home. As a single mother Brighton Center/CET truly changed my life.
I was able to use the tools they gave me to get where I am now. I hope everyone understands that no matter who you are or where you come from this is possible.
I remember coming into Children’s and people would ask what school I graduated from, and when I would say CET everyone was clueless. Most MA’s went to Brown Macke or Cincinnati State. I did not feel intimidated because my RMA was just as relevant as anyone else’s. I was and still am very proud to say where I graduated from.
I made many friends there, some that are now my best friends. I had two of the best teachers, Lee-Ann Duffy and Jonika Green. Special thanks to them. Again, thank you to the Brighton Center/CET for giving me the opportunity. I hope I made you just as proud.
Continue changing lives. You all rock!
From its beginning in 1966 as a modest Newport storefront, Brighton Center has grown to provide a range of programs and services which include meeting basic needs, adult and early childhood education, workforce development, substance abuse recovery for women, affordable housing, financial education and counseling, and neighborhood based programs.
Last year Brighton Center impacted the lives of 60,892 individuals from infants to senior citizens through 37 programs in Northern Kentucky and Greater Cincinnati
For more information about Brighton Center and its programs and services, or to become a volunteer, click here http://www.brightoncenter.com/
