Tara Stilphen
U.S. Army Veteran and Graduate of WTI
Tara is a graduate of WTI’s Medical Assistant program, where she received her certification and became a Registered Medical Assistant. She currently works for Saint Francis Heart and Vascular Center in Topeka, Kansas as a Registered Medical Assistant.
However, Tara didn’t always have a bright future and a game plan. She struggled with personal challenges, even including being homeless for a period of time. That is when Tara decided to join the Army, which changed her life in many ways. She learned patience and how to work with people. Tara was in the Army from January 2014 to September 2017. Once her contract was finished Tara was ready to further her education and be 100% dedicated to her future.
Tara said that she chose WTI because of the intimate class sizes and because WTI made her feel like a person, versus a transaction. She had applied at several other colleges but because of the incredible experience with WTI staff, she knew WTI was the place for her. WTI admissions staff had taken the time to sit down with her and discuss her wants and needs. Even when she was ready to graduate WTI’s career services helped her create her resume and practiced interviewing. When asked about her favorite instructor Tara stated she couldn’t pick just one, that every instructor helped her achieve different skills and gain the confidence she needed to become the Registered Medical Assistant she is today. Her favorite experience that she had at WTI was going into the lab and working on her phlebotomy skills.
Besides getting her certification as a Registered Medical Assistant, she also obtained a certification in CPR while she was at WTI. Tara is eager to continue with her education and other certifications in the future. Thank you for everything that you have done for our country Tara! We know your future will be bright!