Being a mother, wife, and full-time student, Brandi Meadows of the WVJC eCampus is one busy woman. She enjoys taking care of people, which is one reason she enrolled in the medical assisting program and why she enjoys being with her family. So, it was quite surprising for her to find someone asking about how she was doing for a change.
“Wow, I don’t get asked many questions only pertaining to me often,” Meadows said. “I may not know how to answer.”
Half-joking aside, Meadows has demonstrated that although balancing life, work, and school is difficult, it’s something that can be done.
And, it can be done well, as Meadows has lived up to her perfectionist trait even through tough classes.
“I actually am doing great so far,” the medical assistant student exclaimed. “I recently made the President’s List by maintaining a 4.0 GPA and have had the best relationship with my instructors in each class.”
Video lectures, assignments, quizzes, and other projects often take a lot of time and effort to complete successfully. Like many students, Meadows worked on her time management skills to ensure she would complete schoolwork on time.
“The most challenging part of WVJC Online to me, personally, is the discipline to give myself enough time to do my assignments so that I am not pressured or worried if something goes wrong and I need to re-do them,” she said.
And, with the schedule of classwork, usually time with friends and family members take a dip. For Meadows – and many others – it is a difficult task to overcome if one does not see the bigger picture, have faith, and know there are many people, in her corner, rooting for her to succeed.
“I feel guilty a lot of times when my five year-old daughter wants me to play with her and I am busy with work or when my husband wants to sit on the couch and watch TV, but I want to finish my work,” Meadows said. “With that being said, my biggest supporters are God and, believe it or not, my instructors. When they tell me I am doing a good job, it pushes me to do better.”
Many instructors would agree that Meadows’ makes it easy to offer compliments. One medical instructor, Tammy Kaylor, has had Meadows in several classes and has always found her work to be exemplary.
“Brandi is such an excellent student,” Kaylor said. “Her participation is always wonderful and she is such a pleasure to have in class.”
Actually, one of Meadows’ favorite parts of the eCampus are the instructors and staff members that she has worked with while earning her degree. She specifically gave praise to Ben Larke, financial aid officer, who “was so helpful in explaining my financials to me and any other questions I had when I first started WVJC Online”. Meadows said Mr. Larke made the process “very comfortable and easy”, especially since she had some hesitations about coming back to school.
She also enjoys the instructors, like Mrs. Kaylor, who have been a cheerleader for her success.
“My favorite part of attending WVJC Online is the way I’m treated by my Instructors and the staff,” she said. “They always make me feel that I am their priority and are willing to go to any length to see any problem I’m having through to the end, until it is resolved. I am always contacted back within 24 hours regardless of if it’s a weekend or weekday and am always satisfied with the results.”
Meadows’ work ethic and positive interaction with the staff began right at the beginning of her time at the WVJC eCampus. During the first couple weeks, Meadows was already demonstrating her grit and excellent work and continues to do so today.
“You can always tell Brandi strives to do well in everything she does,” David M. Grimes, Meadows’ student success instructor, said. “It’s reflected in her attitude and in her work. Doing the minimum is not good enough for Brandi and she only accepts the best out of herself. She’ll definitely realize that this trait will separate her from the pack and will open doors in her future career as a medical assistant and nurse.”
When you don’t find her nose in a book on typing away on the computer, you’ll mostly likely find Meadows fishing for bass or trout during the summer and fall months. If she does find time to relax on the couch with her husband, she may make him re-watch the movie, “Sweet Home Alabama” as she a “sucker for true love”.
But, for now, she’ll mostly be knee-deep in schoolwork, continuing to keep herself motivated on her journey for a better career.
All she has to do is look at her self-made Vision Board, which has pictures of where she wishes to be in her life within the next several years. There are photos that depict scenes of graduation, a medical assistant job, grades from RNA classes, and a Nurse.
All she has to do is look in the mirror to know she’s definitely making it happen.
“I am proud of myself for choosing to do something for me,” Meadows said. “I do not let anyone or anything interfere with it. I had this chance before and put other things before my education and I lost it. I won’t let it slip away from me this time.
“I am so thankful that things fell into place like they did and I was able to get into WVJC Online at just the right time. It has already been a wonderful ride and it’s only just begun. I know this is a foundation where my dreams will come true.”