April 2024

Sabrina McClellan

Medical Office Administration

"I would like to recommend Sabrina McClellan (adult student in Medical Office Administration program) for Student of the Month. I am most impressed with Sabrina's resiliency, desire for excellence and willingness take initiative.

I knew Sabrina had special attributes and willingness to succeed. However, it wasn't until March that I realize the importance of her strength and abilities and her desire for success stemmed from.

I often heard Sabrina encourage her classmates, especially high school students, to not give up and to stick with it. I overheard her telling others she wished she would have had an opportunity like Southern Tech when she was their age and and had taken advantage of it.

Sabrina's story is that she has experienced many setbacks in her life. It has the mercy and grace extended by others that helped encourage her along the way. The generosity of others to offer a hand up in a time of need has given her the strength and resilience to empower Sabrina to take charge of her own destiny. In 2023, Sabrina decided education would no longer hinder her from creating opportunities for herself; along the way, she Ardmore Family Literacy that provided her with the support and motivation to earned her high school diploma in March of 2023. Having seen her ambition and desire for education first-hand, staff there encouraged her to continue her education recommending that she enroll here at SouthernTech.

Now, a little over a year later, she has added the following accolades to her resume:

• Obtained her GED
• Achieved a 100% attendance having made up the few days that were missed due to extenuating issues.
• Earned her first ever 4.0 GPA
• Inducted into National Technical Honor Society
• Won 2 state BPA medals (1st in Health Insurance and Medical Billing and 3rd in Health Administration Procedures)
• Representing Oklahoma and SouthernTech at National Competition May 9-14 in Chicago, IL
• Obtained state certification in Medical Administrative Assistant
• Prepared to achieve National Certification in Medical Administrative Assistant (takes test on May 7th)
  

The above accolades were of her own doing through determination, work ethic and desire to learn; realizing that education would empower her to achieve success.

Sabrina consistently put in all (and sometimes 50% or more) of her DE time each week. Even when she had studied and learned what she needed, she has always sought out additional opportunities to expand her learning. When she was disappointed in her performance on an assignment and realized it really wasn't her best work, she asked if she could have the opportunity to redo the assignment for her own benefit without a grade adjustment. Self-fulfillment and success are measured within and Sabrina doesn't settle for less than what she knows she can do.

Having never been a part of a professional organization, Sabrina stepped out of her comfort zone to seek a leadership position. She was elected chapter Secretary and has taken the opportunity to learn more about professional organizations and plugged in to the opportunities it has presented for her. She has participated in every single BPA activity and community service project! She served at the Soup Kitchen, donated socks and snacks to Veterans, collected donations for Special Olympics Chain of Love, and wrote letters to local veterans.

She attended 2 Student Leadership Conferences and served as an advocate for Career & Technical Education at Oklahoma BPA Day at the Capitol. When preparing for competition, Sabrina would locate additional study materials and resources and continue to prepare on her own beyond time provided during class.

When she sees a need, Sabrina graciously finds ways to help. She likes to help fulfill the needs of others as a way of paying it forward in honor of those who helped her along the way. As an example, she offered to organize the professional clothes closet by locating hangers, sorting and hanging up clothes during her own time.

Sabrina's personal story of struggles and perseverance is quite remarkable; she reflects upon life experiences to empower her to rise up and remain focused and ambitious. She is a role model and champion for both Career & Technical Education and SouthernTech."