Amanda Lauer
Mountain View Los Altos Adult School
Nominated in 2020
Amanda is goal-oriented and works to complete intermediate goals as she pursues her long-term goal. While being goal-oriented, Amanda is also realistic, and she is flexible and willing to accept that unforeseen new experiences sometimes require intermediate goal changes. Amanda came to Mountain View Los Altos Adult School (MVLAAS) intending to enroll into the Medical Assistant program and work as a licensed Medical Assistant. However, when she was informed a high school diploma (which she does not have) is a prerequisite to obtaining a Medical Assistant license, she changed her plan to pursue a GED prior to enrolling into the Medical Assistant program. After having dropped out of school 10 years prior, Amanda enrolled into the GED program at MVLAAS and earned her GED in two months, including scoring the highest score on the Math test of her class. Amanda's GED teachers made note of Amanda's speed of completion and outstanding test scores and used her as a role model for her classmates. After earning her GED, Amanda enrolled into the next available seat in the Medical Assistant program. She completed the program with high marks in her class, completed a 160 hour externship, and started working the day after she completed her externship. When she came to MVLAAS, her goal was to become a licensed Medical Assistant. Through her experiences with the externship, Amanda established a new long-term goal – to become a Licensed Vocational Nurse. Her new plan is to excel and grow in the healthcare industry and use her experiences as a Medical Assistant as she works to become a Licensed Vocational Nurse. In recognition of Amanda's efforts and success, MVLAAS named her the Student of the Month (March 2020).
Amanda's success did not come without having to overcome several obstacles. Amanda is a single parent, mother of two young children. While she has family locally, she is the sole provider for her family. Feeling a responsibility to her extended family, Amanda served as the caregiver to not only her own two children, but also three other young children of family members; a total of five children. Having dropped out of school and working at menial jobs for 10 years, Amanda decided she had to do more for her family. Having a desire to work with and help people, she decided to pursue a career in healthcare, specifically as a Medical Assistant. However, her participation in MVLAAS' Medical Assistant program only intensified her stresses. Not only did she still have to provide for her family, she attended class no less than 32.5 hours a week (sometimes more), ran to and from childcare before and after class, and studied at home in order to pass two tests a week. Much to Amanda's strength of character, she accomplished all this enthusiastically and with good humor. Her outstanding performances in the GED and Medical Assistant programs and her new employment in her field of choice are positive indicators she will be successful in improving her familial situation and providing a better quality of life for her family.
Amanda has a strong commitment to helping people. Even before her new career started, she faced and overcame a difficult challenge that only hardened her resolve to grow in the healthcare field and help people. On the very first day of her externship, she was tasked to assist a woman who had severely injured her leg (compound bone fracture). The extent of the injury and the skills she needed were beyond what her training had provided at this point. While she admits she had to leave the room for a moment, she did return to assist the woman and tend to her needs. As told by her, it was at this point she knew she was in the right field for her and that she wanted to grow more and become a Licensed Vocational Nurse.
Amanda has a strong sense of purpose, is goal-oriented, and is not one to avoid a challenge if it will help her toward her goal. While still in her externship, she received multiple offers of employment. Of her offers, she chose to work at the facility that was most hectic (an intensive care post) and of lesser pay. She does not regret not working at an easier pace or for higher pay. Her goal is to gain experience now, while she is still learning, so that she can excel to a better position later.
