Allison will graduate from NTC’s phlebotomy technician program, an opportunity made possible through NTC’s Start College Now program which allows eligible high school students to take college courses. Allison has always been interested in working in healthcare, and she took advantage of the opportunity to begin her journey into the field as early as possible.  

She became a certified nursing assistant (CNA) when she was just 16 years old and worked in long-term care facilities for elderly patients. She said she loved the work, especially listening to the residents’ stories.  

“There was a 94-year-old resident, and one day she asked me to come in and talk to her,” Allison said. “She told me all about her life, and she gave me advice on what to do with school and boys and friends. It really just starts to feel like family.”  

Her mom, who is a nurse and an instructor at NTC, suggested to Allison that she consider the phlebotomy technician program to add to her skills and knowledge in the medical field. She loves learning and was excited for the chance.  

Balancing high school and college courses was challenging, but her teachers were all very accommodating and worked with Allison to help her succeed. She also had flexibility in completing her clinicals at Marshfield Clinic in Wausau.  

“I wanted to practice and learn as much as I could,” she said. “I had a 97% success rate on 335 draws, even though I only needed to complete 100.”  

She originally planned to go to school to become a nurse after high school, but a family friend is a radiographer, and she got Allison interested in the field. She applied to several schools, but she chose NTC because of the success she’s had here so far and because of the quality of the program.  

“I’m looking forward to meeting new people and expanding my horizons,” she said.  

Going through the phlebotomy technician program at NTC has given her a lot of confidence heading into the radiography program.  

During the summer, she will be working as a CNA in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Aspirus in Wausau.  

“Because I have phlebotomy experience, I will be able to perform additional tasks so that someone else doesn’t have to come up to do them,” she said. “Being able to help in that way gave me the sense it’s worth it.”  

She is also currently working as a radiography technologist assistant in Eagle River where she has the opportunity to learn from a current radiographer. Once she begins the program, she will continue to work there as an intern.  

“I will get experience while at work and learn from them,” Allison said. “I am like a sponge. I want to know what I’m doing wrong, I want to know what I can do to improve, I want to know everything.”