Fordham Defies Odds & Steps into Future Career with Confidence
After suffering a spinal cord injury that left her paralyzed, Kaitlin Fordham literally felt trapped inside her own body. She was told she’d never walk again.
But after months of rehabilitation, Fordham defied all odds and took literal steps toward a future she’d dreamed of for months.
“After recovering from my injury and moving back into a semi-normal routine, I knew I wanted more for myself and for my son,” Fordham said. “Just like I was learning to stand on my own two feet again, I needed an education to set me back on track and help me move forward professionally.”
Her personal experience with medical care staff made it clear that a career in the medical field was right for Fordham. “I wanted to go into the medical field and pay it forward since so many people poured into me.”
The Right Place
Fordham researched medical field programs and found Oconee Fall Line Technical College’s (OFTC) Diagnostic Medical Sonography Program. “I have always been interested in human anatomy and how our bodies work,” Fordham said. “After meeting with the instructor and touring the lab, I fell in love!”
“OFTC made everything so easy to navigate,” she added. “Filling out applications and financial aid can be so stressful, but OFTC had wonderful staff who helped walk me through everything.”
While OFTC had the medical field program that was right for Fordham, it was more than the program that interested her in making OFTC her top college choice. “The flexibility of the classes allows you to work around your schedule and classes are affordable,” she said. “As a single mom, I needed an education that would work with me and OFTC was the perfect fit.”
Her excitement to begin again wasn’t without some hesitancy. “I was super nervous to go back to school in my thirties,” Fordham shared. “But I’ve learned there is never a wrong time. I stressed about the process of getting back into school for no reason – it has been so smooth!”
“OFTC is a warmer and more welcoming place when compared to my previous college experience,” she added. “There – I felt as if I was just a filled seat, but at OFTC, I felt like I fit in as soon as I sat down in my first class.”
The Right Program
Fordham is confident that once she completes her core classes and competes for entrance into the sonography program, she’ll be ready.
“I have had some wonderful instructors at OFTC who have provided the tools I need to succeed,” Fordham shared. “They’ve poured into us each semester and I’ve learned so much. I started out nervous to go back to school, but now I am looking forward to continuing my education and starting a career!”
Once she’s accepted into the sonography program, Fordham looks forward to the hands-on experience she’ll receive. “The hands-on experience offered at OFTC better prepares students for the workforce,” she said, “because the more you do the more you learn. With hands-on experience, labs, and clinicals, I’m confident OFTC will lead me to where I want to work when I graduate.”
A Confident Future
After her accident, Fordham felt hopeless and trapped. But her determination led her to walk again and now she’s confident of a future that was once uncertain.
“My experience at OFTC has changed my life,” she said. “My confidence has skyrocketed, and I know I’m on the path to a successful career. OFTC has given me and my child security for our future and I am so grateful.”
“My experience here is allowing me to not only stand on my own two feet, but to move forward with enthusiasm and stability,” she added.
For more info about OFTC’s Sonography or 130+ other programs, visit the College’s website, OFTC.edu.
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