Empowered to inspire: HCS graduate Ashley Newton’s full circle path to shaping future health care professionals

As a student in the Online Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Studies (HCS) program at MUSC, Ashley Newton, HCS Class of 2020, overcame personal challenges, balanced full-time work and school during a pandemic, and embraced transformative experiences like volunteering with at-risk populations and advocating for her son’s care. Equipped with newfound confidence and skills, she now inspires future health care professionals as a full-time faculty member, embodying the program’s impact and paying it forward.

What motivated you to complete your bachelor’s degree through CHP’s online Healthcare Studies (HCS) program?
Before I applied to the HCS program, I was going through a difficult time in my personal life, and I was seeing a therapist. She asked when the last time I felt best about myself, and my answer was when I was in school. When I was getting my associate’s degree, I felt confident and sure of myself. I was working towards a goal to not only better myself and my family, but to also make a meaningful contribution to our community through health care. I happenstance stumbled upon the HCS program through a Google search.

MUSC had made a huge impact on my life. When my son was five years old (three years before my application), he was diagnosed with Nephrotic Syndrome due to Minimal Change Disease, and there was an incidental finding of a congenital heart defect (bicuspid aortic valve). At the time of diagnosis, he was in acute kidney failure. I felt that not only was the HCS program a fantastic fit for me to better myself and to better my ability to be promoted at work, but I could also be a part of the institution that helped save my son.

Were there particular assignments, professors, or experiences that challenged you but ultimately helped you grow as a student and future professional?
The program as a whole made a huge impact on my life that I did not expect. At the time, I was working as a medical laboratory technician. I was a very strong and capable tech, but I was only looking at health care through that one scope. The program made me look at the world of patient care differently. The program made me a more empathetic and a well-rounded health care professional.

There were several projects that helped me grow as a health care professional. In our Social Determinants of Health class, we were tasked to volunteer with an organization that serves an at-risk population then write a report and reflection about our experience. I found the Lowcountry Orphan Relief and volunteered at their Make a Child Happy Day, which was a carnival for Lowcountry kids in foster care or living in group homes. In our Etiology and Pathophysiology class, I was able to focus on my son's health condition for a final project. Not only was that a great way for me to learn more about his condition, but it also made me feel empowered to help advocate for his care.

As a graduate of the Class of 2020, I feel like I should bring up the pandemic and how it affected me while I was going to school full time and working in a hospital lab full time. There were so many “I can't do this” and “this is too much” moments. Every time I felt that way, Dr. Gellar (HCS’s program director) would remind me of how far I had truly come from that difficult time before starting the HCS program. She saw things in me that I truly didn't see in myself. After our conversations, I felt like I could take on the world. I felt supported and truly valued as a student.

Did the program help you discover or refine your passion for health care?
Yes! I was taught to perform one facet of health care, the lab portion. However, there are so many other interprofessional components to health care. MUSC and the HCS program underscored its importance in delivering optimal patient care. It made such a huge impression on me, especially during Interprofessional Day, that I wanted to learn more, and I applied to be an MUSC Presidential Scholar.

What advice would you give to community college students who might be hesitant about making the leap to a university program?
Growth does not come from a place of comfort. Being nervous or scared about taking the leap to a university program are completely understandable feelings. However, to be the best version of yourself, you have to grow and accept challenges. Growth is not linear. It's okay that you are starting a university program at a different time than others. Your unique perspective and life experiences will bring value to everything you do.

How did the HCS program equip you with the tools and confidence to transition seamlessly into graduate school?
The faculty of the HCS program challenged me. They saw what level I work I was presenting and moved the standard a little higher each time. That, in turn, made me set the standard for myself higher and higher each time. I took their feedback and tried to learn from every assignment. I sought out help with the Writing Center. By the time I started my Master of Science in Health Sciences (MSHS) program at George Washington University's Medical School, I had confidence, better analytical writing skills, and improved time management skills.

After graduating, what were your next steps? What career are you now pursuing?
I graduated with my MSHS in May 2023. I had always felt a strong drive to give back to the institutions that helped shaped me. I had been an adjunct instructor at Trident Technical College since January 2021, and I became a full-time faculty member of the biology department in August of 2023. I aim to foster a respectful environment for students to achieve their professional goals in health care. I am looking into Ph.D. programs in hopes of becoming a better educator for health care professionals. I want to take what I learned in the HCS program, both formally in class and through interactions with the program's faculty members and pay it forward to future generations of students.