Volunteering and Family Drove Me to My Passion of Helping Others
Monday, July 11, 2011
Bernice Harris started her studies at Brown Mackie College – Miami in 2008. She earned an Associate of Science degree in Medical Assisting in 2010. As a student, she volunteered over 700 hours with the Department of Veterans Affairs VA Medical Center in Miami, Florida. “Volunteering has been a good experience for me," she says. "It puts a smile on my face to see another person happy. I do a lot of networking at the hospital and I have met a lot of different people."
Besides networking, Bernice got well acquainted with patients and shared their life stories. Hearing their war stories helped Bernice appreciate life. Helping people makes her happy. Her hard work and dedication has allowed her to be a member of the Alpha Beta Kappa National Honor Society. Bernice has a soft, kind demeanor that tempers professionalism with integrity and excellence. Her graduation from the Medical Assisting program marked the beginning of her professional goals. She plans to further her career in the in the nuclear medicine field to help patients undergoing chemotherapy.
When Bernice completed her externship, she was celebrated for being an excellent co-worker to the office staff and doctor. “As part of my externship volunteering experience, I worked with children who were adopted as I was," she says. "These children came from His House, the Center for Family and Child Enrichment, and Our Kids homes; all non-profit organizations sheltering and assisting children from Haiti’s earthquake or refugees from Cuba. There were children waiting for relatives or adoptive parents to give them a home. I saw that I once wore those shoes before. It really touched me. I saw kids that were just like me, when I was their age, needing help, love and a home.”
Bernice has overcome substantial obstacles in her life that have helped her be the wonderful and giving person she is today. Her life has been very difficult, but she has overcome all obstacles in order to become a Brown Mackie College – Miami graduate. Bernice was adopted when she was nine. She lived in approximately seven foster homes. She and her 14 siblings were all separated early on in life. She loved her adoptive parents and continues to care for her adoptive father to this day. She has a wonderful son named Edwin. She gives him the love, attention and stability he needs. He has several medical disorders including, ADHD, Receptive Expressive Language disorder, and Obsessive Compulsive Defiant disorder.
Bernice chose the medical field and Brown Mackie College – Miami because she wanted to help people, and she knew that the College would provide her with the tools required to be successful. Bernice is pursuing her dream of living a successful life while showing love and compassion for everyone.