When Savannah native Brenda Rodriguez graduated this May from the Waters College of Health Professions at Georgia Southern University, not only had she wrapped up her college career with a degree in radiologic sciences, but she also had increased confidence and a job secured in her field.
Ready for her career in sonography, Rodriguez is heading confidently into her job in Tennessee where she will work full time in a facility she is already familiar with thanks to her clinical experience.
“I will start my new job as an ultrasound technician at a hospital in Tennessee,” Rodriguez said. “It is such a relieving feeling to have been able to line up a job before graduation. My job is actually at one of my previous rotation sites and so happened to be at my favorite one.”
Admittedly, Rodriguez wasn’t always confident about her potential as a professional, but thanks to professors and the friendships she developed during her time as a student, she began to believe in herself.
“During my time in the program, I had to learn to overcome my own insecurities,” she said. “I was always comparing myself to other classmates’ grades and performance subconsciously, which at times was very difficult. But once I started clinicals, I felt my confidence in myself slowly build up. I started by examining single organs and worked my way up to doing whole exams all by myself.”
Rodriguez also credits her involvement in Greek life for her success.
“Being a member of Phi Mu Kappa Omicron chapter changed my student experience for the better,” Rodriguez said. “Through them I was able to meet so many women that motivated and encouraged me all throughout the hardest moments of my college experience. I gained confidence in venturing out of my comfort zone. Phi Mu provided me with a support system of strong, motivated women.”
Rodriguez will always be grateful for her time at Georgia Southern because of the personal and professional growth she experienced.
“My time at Georgia Southern has shown me that with perseverance, anything is possible,” Rodriguez said. “It also taught me to enjoy the little victories along the way. From freshman year not knowing my way around campus to senior year walking across the stage, I have grown a lot as a person, and Georgia Southern was the place that inspired that growth. I learned to work hard and to keep going and to lean on the people around me for support.”
