Katlyn Anderson began her journey at Shawnee State as a post-secondary student in high school. By beginning early, she worked hard to earn her bachelor’s degree in health science and an associate degree in respiratory therapy. Her dream is to earn her master’s degree and teach others how to perform respiratory therapy. She would like to work in a leadership role such as management within a hospital, to eventually earn her spot as CEO of a hospital or organization. Her favorite part about respiratory therapy is working with traumas that come into the emergency room, giving breathing treatments, and performing CPR. This type of action gives her an adrenaline rush that leads to a feeling of accomplishment from helping others.
“We get a lot of hands-on experience. We go to hospitals to perform clinical hours for eight hours two times a week. We also have lab time, that’s about three to six hours a week depending on how many classes you take. They also do open lab so luckily the program director allows us to go into the lab to study at any time, even if it’s midnight or one in the morning.”
The small atmosphere at Shawnee State made her feel at home. She had a few tricks when studying for exams that helped her succeed, such as recording the in-class lectures and listening to them in the car. Not only would she describe her professors as great instructors, but also as friends that she is able to go get lunch with and develop a relationship, which helps to create a great learning environment. Katlyn feels that she will truly be prepared to begin her career after the experience she has gained from getting her education at SSU.