Posted:
August 15, 2023“I have loved Century College from day one. I have loved all my teachers, and their responses were immediate–through Zoom, email, telephone–even over the weekend. And all the staff—from Financial Aid to everyone were great.”
2023 Outstanding Student and Century College graduate Shannon Anderson, who lives in Nashwauk, Minnesota, was able to finish her degree online during the height of the pandemic.
Finding a New Career Direction with the Help of Century College
A few years ago, Shannon was working on-call at Sholom Home in St. Paul. While she is passionate about helping others and living a life of service, working in a long-term care home is demanding, even for the most dedicated healthcare workers. “Eventually it’s too wearing on your body, physically and mentally,” Shannon notes. “While there, I used to hear stories about patients and billing—and that inspired me to go into the Medical Coding field.”
She started taking Century College’s Medical Technology classes, on the advice of a friend’s son, who told her to get started on her degree. She went to the College, liked what she saw, submitted her application, and signed up for classes on the spot.
Taking Online Courses During the Pandemic
A few months prior start of the Pandemic, Shannon moved to Northern Minnesota to care for her mother and stepfather. When Covid-19 hit, she had to quit school for a while, but restarted 6 months later, so as not to lose momentum with her studies. She realized she could do her courses online, and continued.
“I got all the help I needed, and still felt as though I were in class, even though it was online. Faculty were fantastic—always available via Zoom, email, or telephone. I was always treated as a human being.”
She adds, “Class assignments were constantly graded–Teachers are on top of it. And Century College is keeping students up to date with modern textbooks.”
Shannon especially enjoyed General psych and writing courses. “It was really easy to navigate Century College’s online courses—and the D2L course will show you how to do that. It was very helpful. Century’s teachers will make sure you understand everything in the beginning—and everything will work out fine,” she says.
Passion for Her New Career Field
“I’m fifty-four and starting a new career,” Shannon enthuses. “Medical Coding can include anything: surgery, diagnosis, clinical inpatient, outpatient, orthotics. It’s a comprehensive field because pretty much all information about a patient is on the computer.”
While she job hunts and prepares to take the state exam, Shannon will continue taking Medical Coding courses, just to keep her mind active. For her dedication and commitment to her new field, Shannon was awarded the 2023 Outstanding Student award in Medical Technology. “I was so honored and so surprised. I had no idea!”
Advice for New Students
For students who are new to the Century College Community, Shannon offers the following advice: “Try to test out in any class you can. Also, make sure you take Communications classes, because if you can’t communicate with others, you can’t be productive in your job.
“And don’t be shy about contacting your Century College instructors. They are here to help you!”
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