Jason Bates
Jason Bates, a December 2008 Allied Health graduate, has recently taken a job as program
coordinator of C-STARS. C-STARS is run by the Air Force and is located in Baltimore at Shock
Trauma. Jason is in charge of program management and curriculum development.
We asked Jason if his recent degree in Allied Health benefited him in his new job search, here’s
what he had to say:
“So did my going through the Allied Health program at Towson assist in getting me this
job? The answer is quite simply, yes (it also helped out when it came time to negotiate my
salary). Along with my training in the military, my BTPS set me apart from the competition and
gave me an extra edge that others did not have. There is no doubt in my mind that the courses
I took at Towson will assist in developing my curriculum, as well as my being able to lead the
program into the future. I don't know that I would want anything to change about the
program. I imagine it will only get more flexible, affording more students the opportunity to
get a good degree, one that translates into marketable material, on their own time. If I was to
give out one piece of advice for prospective students of Towson's Allied Health program, it
would be: be prepared to be a self-motivated leader because the opportunities will come upon
graduation. The online dynamic of the program does not mean it will be easier than a
traditional course. This program will force students to be individuals, to be thinkers, to be
researchers, and most importantly, leaders. It has undoubtedly prepared me to take on a
challenge that, not too long ago, I would have thought above my head.”
Vanessa Huges
Vanessa Hughes, a May 2009 Allied Health graduate, currently works as a Case Manager at the
Howard County Office on Aging. Although she worked there before completing her degree in
Allied Health, she says that she now has an edge in her position. Since graduating, Vanessa has
had the opportunity to join a project team that is responsible for program planning and
financial management in an effort to reevaluate and reallocate resources in the strained
economy for the Senior Care program.
“I feel that my degree positioned me for advancement in my job. I feel more confident in
working with other professionals.” Reflecting on the Allied Health program, Vanessa believes
that the program was very well-managed and flexible for students. She says, “The faculty really
valued non-traditional students and realized that their needs are different.” As for advice for
prospective and current students, Vanessa says “it’s especially important to be a self-starter
and organized because many courses are offered online. While the program was challenging it
was also rewarding because students are forced to look at their strengths and
weaknesses.” Another plus was that the program encourages a lot of self-reflection, which
Vanessa felt was very beneficial.
Vanessa was the first student to receive the Allied Health Program Award of Excellence!
Patricia Nolan
Patricia Nolan knows what it’s like to balance career, family and school. For twenty years
Patricia has been working full time as a Respiratory Therapist, but always knew that she wated
to further a career in Respiratory Education. She felt that earning her Bachelor’s degree would
“open doors that would have otherwise been closed”.
Patricia graduated from the Allied Health Program in the summer of 2009, and believed that
going back to school was one of the best decisions she has made. Being a career woman and
mother, the Allied Health’s online format was especially attractive to her and allowed her to
further both education and career goals. Not only was the format of the program a good fit, but
so were the professors.
She says that her interactions with professors in the program pushed her to be a better
student. “Professor Caplis was really great. She was a tough cookie but I could tell that she had
high expectations from her students and she wanted her students to succeed. Professor
Burton’s background was in Respiratory Therapy as well, so we had the student/professor
relationship as well as the colleague relationship, which was really unique”.
Now, Patricia works full-time at the CCBC-Essex campus, teaching Mechanical Ventilation to
second year Respiratory Therapy students. She is currently working on her Master’s Degree in
Education with a minor in Information Technology from Strayer University. She hopes to
graduate spring 2011. Congratulations Patricia! We wish you continued success!!
Jamal Ashkar
Jamal Ashkar started his journey with the Allied Health program in 2009 and graduated 2 years
later in December 2010 also receiving the 2010-2011 Allied Health Award of Excellence. He is
currently employed at Johns Hopkins Hospital as a radiographic technologist. Since graduation,
Jamal has already been able to gain more responsibilities at work in terms of management and
overseeing operations. When asked how the program has helped him at work, Jamal stated
that “the classes I took in terms of management improved my ability to work with others and
take more responsibilities in term of organizing the workflow and completing daily tasks at
work more efficiently.” Although he has already gained more responsibility in his current
position, Jamal aspires to soon move up into a management role.
The biggest piece of advice Jamal has for current and perspective students is time
management. Jamal worked full time while completing his course work and had to maintain
effective time management in order to get everything done. Stress Management, Jamal’s
favorite class taken in the program, prepared him in many ways for this. Jamal also wanted to
give the advice to “not be afraid to ask for help when you need it.” Use your resources such as
other students and faculty – they are here to help.
When reflecting on his experience as a whole with the Allied Health program, Jamal
remember first the great faculty. “The instructors were exceptional. I felt that they were more
than teachers; they were our mentors. They watched and worked with all of us students to
make sure we stayed on track.” Jamal is very passionate about the Allied Health Program and
would suggest it to anyone – “It advances your career. I am now able to move up to
management positions with this degree“, he stated as encouragement to prospective and
current students.
Maureen Carver
Maureen began as a student in the Allied Health Program in 2009, and just recently graduated
in December of 2011. Her track was in Administration and Management. Maureen was very
pleased with the Allied Health Program and chose it as a result of its flexibility.
Ultimately, Maureen knew she wanted to earn her BTPS because it gave her the option
to advance in her career. The program has provided her with the knowledge and skills needed
to better understand the hospital setting and the perspectives of management.
Prior to attending Towson University, Maureen attended many schools during her time
with the military. She was stationed in South Carolina for four years where she attended several
different schools to fit her busy schedule. She earned her Associate of the Arts degree from
Central Carolina Technical University in 2005. In 2007 Maureen graduated from Johns Hopkins
Hospital School of Medical Imaging with her AAS in Radiography.
She is currently employed at University of Maryland Shock Trauma as an X-ray
technician where she has been for four years. Maureen continues to further her education as
she takes prerequisites at CCBC in order to apply to a Physician’s Assistant program.
Allied Health was most helpful to Maureen because it fit her busy schedule. Also, the
faculty and professors that she was able to work with were very critical to her great successes.
“The professors were amazing. I felt like they were always there if I had a question or needed
them to work with me on something,” Maureen said when asked about her experience with
Allied Health. With her busy schedule and full time work load Maureen still managed to
maintain an excellent GPA and is now being honored with the Award of Recognition.
Congratulations to Maureen on her success!
Jeremy Adcock
Jeremy Adcock is a Summer 2012 graduate of the Allied Health Program, and the 2013
recipient of the Award of Excellence. After deciding to return back to school in 2010 Jeremy
started at Towson University in 2011 with the goal of entering into the Physician’s Assistant
program. While finding time to juggle school and life activities was difficult, Jeremy feels it’s
best to develop planning skills and set a time each week for class as well as time for personal
life.
The Allied Health Program was much more than Jeremy expected. The ability to utilize
online technology as well as enroll in on campus courses gave more variety to what he thought
was going to be strictly online. Being able to attend courses on campus, while sometimes
difficult, was a good way to make valuable connections with classmates.
Jeremy’s experience in the Allied Program has also helped his career. Recently he
accepted a position with John’s Hopkins—Lifeline, a position that allows him to directly apply
material learned in the Evidence Based Practice Course. “The Allied Health Program has
expanded my capabilities within my current field, giving me knowledge and credentials to
pursue greater opportunities”, says Jeremy. In addition Jeremy would like to share, “It has
really been a pleasure to learn alongside some of the best professionals in the area. I wish all of
you great success as you provide the best of patient care.”
Brian Scholl
Brian Scholl is a current Allied Health student with his track being Wellness Prevention
and Promotion. Brian chose this track because of his job in the military working in the
Maryland National Guard as a Special Forces Senior Sargent. Prior to coming to Towson
University Brian attended CCBC Essex where he completed his training in the EMT/Paramedic
program. His work in the Military as a Special Forces medic complemented this training. Brian
was originally interested in the Athletic Training degree here at Towson, however he found that
the program was not able to take many of his courses from his A.A.S degree and it would have
taken him much longer to complete. Instead Brian chose the Allied Health program and was
able to choose courses he was interested in that overlap between the Athletic Training Degree
and the Allied Health Program. This is one of the many reasons Brian enjoyed the Allied Health
Program, “It allowed me to mold my track to a topic I was most interested in”, says Brian.
Brian chose the Wellness Prevention and Promotion track specifically to strengthen
skills necessary in his profession. He found that sports injuries and traveling illnesses were
common occurrences among his team that his EMT training just didn’t really educate him on.
Brian felt that being able to have more knowledge on these types of topics would be able to
better prepare him for combat situations. His ability to also take the Athletic Training courses
he chose helped with this as well. Working with military personnel is more akin to working with
athletes than the average civilian so courses such as Nutrition for Athletes were more
appropriate for his career than another type of class.
During his time at Towson University Brian has been involved on campus through the
Veteran’s Program, which he feels is a great resource for veteran students. Patrick Young, the
Director of the Veteran’s Program at Towson, has done a great job at running the program.
Being a Towson alumni and Military Veteran himself, Patrick is able to connect with the
students and really understands the transitions the students are going through. Brian really
compliments Towson University on their Veteran’s Program; he has found that being able to
have a space to study and have discussions with others who are in the middle of similar
transitions is really helpful.
Towson University not only allowed Brian to have a great experience stateside but also
gave him the chance to study abroad. Brian spent time abroad in Buenos Aries. He was able to
take two courses through Towson’s Study Abroad program and loved that he was able to get to
experience a new city while completing course work. All of the experiences here at Towson
have allowed Brian to become more competitive in his career. Already he has gotten promoted
to a Management position and can see the Human Resources and Administration courses
directly relating with his career. After graduation, Brian plans on continuing with Military
service hopefully working in the Maryland/D.C. area.
When asked why he would recommend the Allied Health program to others he said “I
would recommend it to anyone who is working or older or has a family or really anyone who
can’t commit 100% of their time to school. The flexibility and amount of time you save being
able to transfer your credits is great!”