From Computers to Healthcare – Meet Miranda Mastellone
From Computers to Healthcare – Meet Miranda Mastellone
Peirce College prides itself on being an ideal college for adults in Philadelphia who are in search of a career change, and for Miranda Mastellone, that change is exactly what she was looking for. Enrolling in Peirce’s Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Administration program, Miranda was setting herself up for her ideal career move.
Miranda graduated from Peirce College’s partner school Pennsylvania Institute of Technology (PIT) in the late 1990’s with an associate degree in Computer Engineering, but shortly thereafter learned she was pregnant with her first child. By the time she was ready to start working in the computer industry, she felt like new developments in technology might have left her too far behind to be desirable for employers.
“I wanted a small school with a Computer Engineering program, and PIT was just what I had been looking for. I had a great experience there but the timing was a bit tough because I learned I was pregnant right after I graduated,” explained Miranda. “In the computer industry, if you don’t stay current, things pass you by really quickly.”
Realizing she might need to weigh her options and consider another career track, Miranda spoke to a friend that had recently started medical billing and coding classes. Miranda liked the sound of it, but thought it would be a better fit to train to be a Medical Assistant. She excelled in her classes and in 2000, earned her certification and started work in the healthcare field.
“I’ve been a Medical Assistant for 19 years,” Miranda said. I work in the GI Department at Penn Medicine and though I enjoy it, I know that I want to change from the clinical side to the administrative side. That’s why I’m back in school!”
Miranda, who hopes to become a Resident Coordinator upon her graduation from Peirce, mentioned that the degree you hold is just as important as work experience in the healthcare field. For that reason, Miranda knew she needed to arm herself with a bachelor’s degree to move over to the administrative side of her industry.
“I could keep moving laterally if I wanted to, but at this point I know I want to be on the clerical or administrative side. To do that, I need my bachelor’s degree,” Miranda said.
Miranda first heard about Peirce College when a colleague of hers that was enrolled at Peirce informed Miranda of her positive Peirce experience and about the Peirce Fit® learning format, which allows students to choose weekly whether to attend class online or on campus. Miranda had heard that Peirce was transfer-friendly, but she was very surprised (and very happy!) when she learned that 40 of her credits from her Computer Engineering degree would transfer over.
“From the very start, it’s been so seamless. I was thrilled to learn that the majority of my credits would transfer, and I absolutely love that I can attend all my classes online. Whenever I need anything, I get a response immediately. Even my advisor, April. When I need her for anything, I get a call right after I email her,” Miranda happily reported.
Though she works full time in addition to being a full-time student, Miranda says that she loves to spend time with her four grandchildren as much as she can. She loves to take them walking around her West Philadelphia neighborhood, especially the vibrant lawn at Clark Park.
Peirce College commends Pennsylvania Institute of Technology for providing Miranda with an excellent educational foundation, and wishes her well in all of her future endeavors!
If you or someone you know is looking to transfer to Peirce College, please contact me, Tom Tschop, Director, Strategic Partnerships & Institutional Enrollment, at 215.670.9203 or ttschop@peirce.edu.
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