The Power of a Handwritten Note: Student Traverses the Path to a New Career

On the days when she needs inspiration Kristen Ostertag opens her wallet and pulls out a handwritten note. The words she reads are her own. They are the reason she decided to go to college, change careers, and never look back.

A mother of three teenagers, Kristen enjoyed her job as the director of advocacy and finance manager for a local domestic violence shelter. However, at the beginning of the pandemic she was reminded that there aren’t any guarantees in life. She felt called to become a nurse but decided to earn a medical assisting certificate first. During an online Collin College medical assisting program interview, she wrote the words, “I really want this,” and tucked the note in her wallet. “It was scary to walk away from a career that was successful,” Kristen said. “It was only because of the support of my husband that I could. Since that moment I’ve been all in. It was a no-brainer to select a program that could give me so many certification options.”