Every Ross Medical Education Center instructor has a student or two that really sticks out in their mind as a model student and citizen. One of those students for Sharon Beard, Dental Assistant Instructor from the Flint campus, is Rachael Brown. According to Sharon, “Rachel is a very energetic, outgoing young lady that has a contagious positive attitude that shows through to everyone she meets.” Her positivity is not only contagious, it is also inspiring as Rachael has had to work to overcome some very difficult times in her life.
Rachael had been working in the fast food industry when she decided to go back to school to change her career path. After considering all her options, she decided to enter the Dental Assistant program at Ross Medical Education Center in Flint in July of 2014. During her time at Ross, she continued working in the fast food industry. In fact, she was working two different jobs in order to receive full-time hours and pay. Often she was working long hours and not getting off until late at night. This schedule definitely proved to be a difficult one to maintain, but she knew that she had to persevere to make her goal a reality.
In addition to her hectic schedule, Rachael found out shortly after starting school that her mother had been diagnosed with breast cancer. Rachael continued working both of her jobs and attending class in the mornings, but she began to use all of her free time helping her mother with her daily needs. Some of the things she did for her mother were cleaning the house, shopping for groceries, and fixing meals.
Even though it was a long, hard road, Rachael missed only a few days from school and only to go with her mother while she had mastectomy surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. With all that she does, she was able to keep her GPA at 3.8 and maintained a 96 percent attendance record. Rachael was not just an exceptional student, but also a mentor to other students in class. She came into class early and was always ready to help in any way possible. She is a team player and a leader, always using her energy and positive attitude.