Student Q&A with Clinical Medical Assisting Student Hailey Wiseley

Hailey Wiseley will be graduating from her medical assistant training in Temecula in the spring of 2022. In her nine months at SJVC, she will have made a lasting mark as a model student and leader in the Clinical Medical Assisting program.  Her story is not exactly about someone who always desired to achieve, but someone who couldn’t find her way after high school and languished in a series of retail and service jobs, never feeling happy.

Hailey came to SJVC ready to do better. She not only has achieved an almost perfect grade point average, she has encouraged her peers to do better as well by posting her daily activities on Instagram – which has encouraged others and gathered a supportive community along the way. With a natural talent for using social media, at least six of her “friends” are following her footsteps and enrolling in the SJVC Clinical Medical Assisting program.  What’s next for Hailey?  Here’s her story:

Q:  Tell us about yourself.

A: I was born in Riverside, CA and raised in Moreno Valley most of my childhood. When I was 11 or 12, we moved to San Jacinto, CA. I have two sisters and two brothers; I was the middle child of five children with two marriages.

Q: When you were a child, did you know what you wanted to do when you grew up?

A: When I was about 8 or 9 years old I knew I wanted to do something in the medical field, but I didn’t know what. I always loved going to the pediatrician’s office; I would ask the MA’s in the office what they did – even what their title was!

When I graduated from San Jacinto High School, I knew I wanted to do something with my life, but I still didn’t know exactly what. I started working a lot of jobs in fast food, retail, and manufacturing. But I was never happy, and I got super depressed. I hated all those jobs because I knew this wasn’t living my life. My family would ask “Why do you leave every job?” and I would say why should I stay if I’m unhappy?

Q:  When was the turning point?

A: At first, I thought about going to school for cosmetology.  I needed my mother’s financial support, and she wasn’t so keen on that choice. I had a lot of friends who were going to SJVC during the time. I had talked to them about it before, but I thought it was out of reach financially for me.  I talked to a financial services representative and was told I should fill out the FAFSA with my mother’s approval. I thought maybe I should look at SJVC, and decided to approach my Mom again.

I proposed the idea to Mom, trying my best to convince her, and that’s when she automatically said yes.  Who knows, maybe it was the medical aspect of it that she liked, but I knew without her support I could never have done it. I cried the moment she said yes, because I was so excited to go to school!

Q: How do you explain the change from a high school grad without a specific goal to someone who had more purpose?

A: Starting at SJVC was like a second opportunity to put myself out there. I had done well grade-wise in high school but I learned that grades alone didn’t get me very far.  I figured I had to get more involved if I wanted to do better. When I began classes on June 24, 2021 I decided to sit in the front of every single class, and I have ever since.

I also decided it was about being involved in other ways.  I wanted to do extracurricular activities so I sought out the ASB (Associated Student Body), an organization that supports student activity outside of class. Mrs. Flores, one of my instructors who has been so helpful, nominated me to join the club. At the first ASB meeting a paper went around and I signed up for the President and Secretary position. I had an interview and was granted the position for Vice President! We organized go-fund-me projects, bake sales, and started fundraisers for various community-oriented issues; the most recent one we had was for the family of Mr. Leo Fitch, a Clinical Medical Assisting instructor who passed away. Very soon we’ll start recruiting students again.

Q: And I hear you have quite a following on Instagram!  Tell us about that.

A: I’ve always been a social media geek. It comes naturally to me and it’s a lot of fun! On Day One at SJVC, I started posting my experience on Instagram (@haileyxnicole22).  I quickly developed a following of like-minded people who are looking for a career path. I keep posting because I love to encourage people to go to the Clinical Medical Assisting program. I created a friend group to help build a community for students and potential students.  They tell me all their concerns, what’s bothering them or what they’re nervous about.  I post videos too, showing IM injections, subcutaneous injections, things like that. I’ve helped at least six people come to SJVC (not all at the Temecula campus).

It’s been so busy with my studies and all the extracurricular activities, I thought about quitting the Instagram posting. So, I took a poll of my followers to ask what they thought. They immediately responded not to quit and to please keep posting!  I think they get a feeling of support when I write about the hands-on experience of school, how to put yourself out there, take a chance and try something new.  So I’ll keep posting.

Q: What’s next for you? Will you have an extern experience before you graduate?

A: Yes, I plan to. I’ve pretty much decided I want to be a labor and delivery nurse. That means I want to go to school beyond SJVC, so I’m trying to get an extern at an OB office.  I hope that will help me when I apply for nursing schools.

Q: That’s a good idea. Wow – seems like you are on your way! Do you know where you want to go?

A: I lived before in Beaverton and Portland, Oregon.  There are some good nursing schools up there I’d like to apply to.  The teachers here at SJVC really help support your vision as you plan your career path.  I’m so grateful for them.

Q: They must be proud of you and happy to help. Is there anything you’d like to say here to any prospective or incoming students about your own experience of finding an individual path? 

A: Yes. I’d like to share this quote I wrote that keeps me going:

“All it takes is patience, hard work, and dedication to rise above expectations and have your moment in the spotlight. Believe in yourself and you’ll go far.”

Q: Well, you have clearly learned a lot – not just the skills of becoming a Medical Assistant, but how to succeed at whatever you do. Congratulations!

A: Thank you. I just know, even with COVID and how tough life can be in general, that if you just put yourself out there and keep going, it will be worth it in the end.