Ashley Smith

Ashley Smith

It’s so funny how one conversation can change the course of your life. One day when I was at my favorite steak house sitting at the bar, I overheard two others having a conversation about schooling. I decided to chat them up and found out that they were the Head of Admissions and the Academic Dean for Herzing University!

We got to chatting, and I loved the sound of the school. It was such a good experience that I signed up the next day! I had been actively wanting to further my career, and Herzing seemed to come at the perfect time to help me reach my goals. I’m so glad I took the jump!

Just like my conversation at the steakhouse, Herzing’s other faculty and staff were so helpful during my studies. In particular, Lizzie stood out to me. She was always there to chat if I needed help, and when she didn’t know an answer, she always directed me to where I could find that answer. I’m so grateful for her support.

That support was so incredibly important, as I found myself homeless for some time while studying. As one would expect, losing my home impeded my ability to complete assignments on time. I had to prioritize my children, and it all proved to be too much.

For some time, I dropped out so that I could pick up the pieces and put them back together. It was by far the hardest time of my life, but eventually I made it back to where I needed to be.

Once I was able to start up classes again, the wonderful support of Herzing was still there. They helped me stay on track in so many ways. There were times I’d get emails, texts and sometimes even a call to remind me to finish my work! It was inspiring to know they cared and didn’t leave anyone behind.

It taught me a valuable lesson future students should learn: communication is key! If you communicate properly with your instructor, they will be there for you. Don’t forget that! Life gets difficult for all of us, even if some cases are worse than others. What matters most is how you pick up the pieces and take the punches. You can and will survive.

Coming into this program, I knew nothing about insurance. Through courses like Intro to Billing and Coding, I now feel very educated and confident in that topic. Every class taught me something new, and now I know I’ll be able to make it in this career.

Now that I’m a grad, I’ll be using my degree to become an awesome supervisor. I want to run a clinic in a way that truly cares for my employees. I can’t believe I made it, and I’m so proud of myself!