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Jaclyn Acevedo has always strived to help others. Whether it was during her time serving with the U.S. Navy or in her previous role as a Registered Dental Assistant, she has a passion for taking care of others. 

She was initially recommended to the Dental Assisting program at �鶹��ý-San Diego from a fellow veteran, and returned to the college as a satisfied alum to complete the Surgical Program. After witnessing oral surgeries as a Dental Assistant and learning about the other programs available at �鶹��ý-San Diego, Jaclyn believed that being a surgical technician would allow her to have a rewarding and exciting career. 

More Than Just a Number

From the start, she was confident her experience with �鶹��ý would be different, remembering that, “They guided me through the enrollment process with patience and ease, when other campuses would rattle of a To-Do list and never touch base with me.”
The helpful nature of the faculty allowed her to learn and be prepared for any career or life challenges that followed.

Being a student during a global pandemic is no small feat — especially in the hard-hit medical field— and for that Jaclyn attributes much of her success to the compassionate �鶹��ý faculty who assisted her throughout the pandemic.

“Everyone from the President to our Dean and head of Financial Aid would keep in contact and had an open door for all the challenges. When an inconvenience arose, someone was available to help me problem solve so that my education wasn’t interrupted,” explained Jaclyn. 

When she needed to attend clinicals during the middle of her program in Texas, she found the same warm and attentive passion from �鶹��ý faculty, saying that “I even had the pleasure of training with a program director from a Florida campus and learned so much from a different angle.”

Scrubbing In

After going through clinicals and a bootcamp guided by her program’s instructors, Jaclyn had a wide range of knowledge that put her in the perfect mindset to start her career. But even before she graduated and received her degree, her current job offered her a position as a Surgical Laser and Ultrasound Technician because of her extensive clinical experience at �鶹��ý. 
“It’s impossible to predict and practice every situation,” Jaclyn said. “Instilling the confidence in me and giving me the platform of knowledge gave me a successful place to launch from.”

As a Surgical Laser and Ultrasound Technician, Jaclyn is responsible for delivering and accompanying the high-tech medical equipment to ensure it’s functionality. Surgical staff rely on Jaclyn’s technical expertise to assist them in the operating room, ensuring the procedure is safe and time efficient. 

Now that she is fully immersed in the surgical technician field, Jaclyn has even more appreciation for her time and experience as a pandemic-era student at �鶹��ý.

“I had to be flexible. I had to roll with some changes, and think outside the box to suggest other solutions,” Jaclyn noted. The learning curve she subsequently experienced during her program shaped her into a quick and strategic thinker—providing her with an advanced skillset that makes her even better at what she does.