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Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê×ÊÁÏ´óÈ« Tech has become a family affair for Shana Williford-Johnson, her two brothers and her husband. Shana is a graduate of our Medical Assistant program, and was inducted into the Melrose Park campus’ Alumni Hall of Fame. Shana’s two brothers, Devin and Marcus, are also Melrose Park graduates, and they inspired her to pursue a career in healthcare. During her time at Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê×ÊÁÏ´óÈ« Tech, Shana met her husband, Marlo Johnson, who is also a member of the campus’ Alumni Hall of Fame. The Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê×ÊÁÏ´óÈ« Tech family is proud of each of these outstanding graduates, whose determination and commitment have led them to successful careers.

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Devin: What really drove my decision, I was kind of at a point where I just needed to make a big decision as far as what I was gonna do with my life. I was outta high school, I was working at OSCO, worked there, got tired of that. Then I started working at a nursing home with my grandma, got tired of that. So now I'm at a point where I was like, "Okay, you gotta pick something and you gotta find you something that you like."

Marcus: From a young age, I've loved to tear apart things, you know, whether you looking at, like, a TV or a game system, trying to figure out like how the circuit works, and what control this part. So Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê×ÊÁÏ´óÈ« Tech was specifically in focus exactly with what it is that I love, which is technology.

Shana: So what drove me to check out Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê×ÊÁÏ´óÈ« Tech was the fact that I had two brothers that previously attended Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê×ÊÁÏ´óÈ« Tech. And I always wanted to go into the medical field, I wanted to be a nurse. But I didn't know if I wanted to jump right on in there. So I chose to come and check out Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê×ÊÁÏ´óÈ« Tech.

Marlo: At first, I've been in sales for a number of years. And being in sales, either your numbers are good or your numbers are bad. When they're good, they keep you working. When they're bad, then they say, "Okay, we don't need you anymore." Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê×ÊÁÏ´óÈ« Tech provided me the ability of holding on to something as far as working with my hands. The way I look at it, you can't take my hands away. So no matter, you know, what I sell, what I don't sell, if I can install it, you still need me. So that was my main reason.

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[00:02:33]

Well, I know for me, you know, from starting off as being a technician and then making my way up to being a manager, it has evolved tremendously. Not only just my knowledge, but then just what I'm able to do at home, and what we're able to do as a couple. So it's done very well for myself.

Shana: Yeah, and for myself, I went from being a medical assistant to now being a critical care registered nurse. So I give all the credit to my hard studies with Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê×ÊÁÏ´óÈ« Tech's knowledge. I appreciate it 100-fold.

Devin: When I graduated from Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê×ÊÁÏ´óÈ« Tech, what I learned here enabled me to walk straight into a collision repair facility with my credentials and leave out of that place with a job the same day, which probably wouldn't have happened if I had not had Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê×ÊÁÏ´óÈ« Tech in my background. The collision repair industry is based off of I-CAR and leaving out of Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê×ÊÁÏ´óÈ« Tech, I had 10 I-CAR points, which is huge in the industry.

Marcus: Going through the program, and everything that it taught me, I mean, what it did for our family as far as myself going through it, then my brother, then my sister, it allowed not only myself to go through life being successful professionally and personally, but then it also did the same thing for my siblings. It changed everything for all of us. So it brought in, of course, happiness and joy, you know, with the professions like that that we were in. It allowed love to just be there, even the more because we were all loving each other, but then also in professions and fields that we also love. So it was just amazing.

Shana: We have a daughter right now who is a senior in high school who is doing her visiting of schools. And, you know, it's not out of the options of her to come to Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê×ÊÁÏ´óÈ« Tech or any trade school for that matter. We leave that option up to her, you know. But we have told her that, you know, you don't wanna waste your time or your money, you know, so if you are wanting to go into a field that requires hands-on experience, you know, as all of us have done, that Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê×ÊÁÏ´óÈ« Tech is a phenomenal option.

Marlo: Between the two of us, we have four together, four total, and they all understand that a four-year university is great, but then they also see that, hey, you know, if things don't work out, you know, definitely going to a trade school, a school that's gonna allow them to work with their hands to provide for their families is also a good way to go as well.

Marcus: Just a big thank you, just gratitude for what you all have instilled in us and then allowed us to be able to take and move forward and be successful in life professionally and personally, right? So we have things that they have passed down to their children, things that they have taken for themselves. Marlo, things that he instilled in other upcoming leaders now. So from all of us to you guys, just a big thank you and gratitude to everybody. You and all of the staff here are awesome.

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