PCC is proud of its alumni, many of whom live and work in eastern North Carolina and use their skills and talents to make their workplaces and communities better. One of those Bulldogs is 1995 graduate Jennifer Woolard. Let’s catch up with Jennifer in this month’s “Alumni Spotlight.”
Name:
Jennifer Woolard
Hometown/Current Residence:
Jamesville, N.C./Straits, N.C. (near Harker’s Island)
PCC Program (Year Graduated):
Associate in Applied Science Radiography (1995)
Occupation:
Lead Technologist, ECU Health Multispecialty Clinic-Belhaven
An Interesting Fact About Yourself:
Some people think I have this really goofy gift. You say a word, a line, and I will start singing a song that has those words in it. Unfortunately, I cannot sing well, but it makes everybody laugh and usually they start singing it too.
Favorite Quote:
… Part of a poem by Robert Frost: Two roads diverged in a wood and I, I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.
Favorite PCC Memory, Teacher and/or Moment:
Probably my favorite memory is the night I graduated. I wondered why my jaws were hurting, and when I saw the pictures, it was because I was grinning so big (literally ear to ear).
My favorite instructor was the late Karen Lee. She had so much energy but taught us to be so particular about our work. I learned any images that had my initials on them needed to be the best I could possibly send, and I have always tried to adhere to that.
Advice You’d Offer Someone Considering Your Career Field:
I absolutely love being a clinical site for PCC and being able to work with students. I try to be the best resource for them that I can in a very relaxed setting, where they can learn, feel comfortable working with patients and other departments, and ask questions. I absolutely encourage questions and try to be the Radiologic Technologist that I wanted to have in clinical settings. My best advice to them is:
- Always be a patient advocate (even if that means standing up to the radiologist, ordering provider or management).
- Always get the best images possible (take pride in your work).
- Always remember that we make a big contribution to the medical community, even if the world doesn’t always recognize it (sometimes, our images are the puzzle piece that results in a correct diagnosis).
- Love what you do and it will be reflected in your work.