Student Profiles
Linda Ramge -- Alumnus
After nearly
twenty-five years in the workforce, involving three major career changes,
several geographic moves, and raising two sons who are both successful
professionals, I am ready to enter a new phase of my life by pursuing
a graduate degree in the Master of Arts in Liberal Studies program at
the University of North Carolina at Wilmington.
My undergraduate studies focused on the medical field and I graduated
with a Bachelor's degree in medical technology. After working for several
years in hospital and clinical laboratories as a medical technologist
with a specialization in microbiology, my family moved to Charlotte, NC,
and I found a position as an instructor in the Medical Assisting program
at King's College, a private business college. In 1992, I was asked to
assume the responsibilities of director of the Medical Assisting program,
a position that I held until we moved to Wilmington, NC in l998. I am
currently the office administrator at a high profile law firm in Wilmington-a
position that has provided an opportunity to learn about a field that
was previously unfamiliar to me.
I have found that since leaving the medical training field, I do miss
teaching and the interaction with students. I enjoyed teaching classes
such as medical terminology and human anatomy and physiology. It was challenging
and gratifying to take a subject as complex as the human body and break
it down into manageable units that students could grasp and eventually
assemble to gain an understanding of the entire organism. I have also
found that teaching positions in similar medical assisting programs in
Wilmington require a Master's degree. A Master of Arts in Liberal Studies
degree would complement my background and previous experience and would
also fulfill the requirement for a graduate degree.
A graduate degree has always been a goal in my life, but one that has
been deferred by career and family responsibilities. I am now at a crossroads
in my life when I must ask myself, "If not now, when?" I am fortunate
to be able to structure a part-time work schedule to allow myself time
and energy to concentrate on my personal goals. I would be able to draw
on my knowledge and experience in the medical, educational, and legal
fields-as well as many years of "life" itself-and my interest in politics,
literature, and social problems to address the issues explored in a graduate
liberal studies program. The traditional liberal-arts focus of the program
especially appeals to me. "Traditional" does not necessarily have to mean
"old-fashioned." Years of working with young people has conditioned me
to not resist progress or change, but I tend to view progress from a "traditional"
point of view. The Master of Arts in Liberal Studies program offers an
opportunity for self-enrichment through the investigation of many challenging
subjects, and I look forward to the interaction with faculty and other
students in a stimulating and highly motivated learning environment.
Last Update: October 17, 2003
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