Andrea Lancaster Shaffer is a Kentucky girl at heart. Born, raised, and educated in the state, she has a strong desire to give back to the members of the community.
Upon graduation from high school, Andrea pursued another
lifelong passion: a career in music. After several years on that path, she had
a change of heart and angled her profession towards modern languages. Toward
the end of her collegiate career, she realigned her occupation from the retail
industry to healthcare, becoming employed at a pharmaceutical call center. Once
Andrea had spent time in the field, she discovered that a clinical role was
what her heart truly desired. Unable, at this point, to switch degree plans to
a clinical-based career, she continued working in the healthcare industry with
her ultimate goal to return to college to obtain her desired degree. Her
fundamental objective was to be able to use her knowledge she had gained from
the healthcare industry as well as personal knowledge to educate those who
shared similar personal experiences. It was at this point that a colleague
mentioned dietetics as a career option.
After Andrea made the commitment to the dietetics field, a different obstacle presented. As an employee at a state-funded university, there is a benefit allotted to full-time employees that covers tuition for part-time students. While this is a fantastic benefit, it also meant that it would almost double the amount of time to complete the degree, even with her prior education experience. Despite the dual challenge of working full-time while attending college part-time, Andrea jumped in feet first and hasn’t looked back. She had some initial struggles with the right balance between obligations, but has since dedicated herself to maintaining focus and motivation to achieve her dreams.
Andrea has developed a remarkable work ethic throughout her years of employment. This stems from an aspiration to be as efficient and productive as possible. By going above and beyond in the jobs she has held, she has been able to assist with improvements in the respective departments to enhance the workflow, ultimately resulting in better patient care. This drive for success has transitioned over to her collegiate work as well, which she feels will enrich her career upon graduation to provide the utmost in patient care and those that she will serve.
After Andrea made the commitment to the dietetics field, a different obstacle presented. As an employee at a state-funded university, there is a benefit allotted to full-time employees that covers tuition for part-time students. While this is a fantastic benefit, it also meant that it would almost double the amount of time to complete the degree, even with her prior education experience. Despite the dual challenge of working full-time while attending college part-time, Andrea jumped in feet first and hasn’t looked back. She had some initial struggles with the right balance between obligations, but has since dedicated herself to maintaining focus and motivation to achieve her dreams.
Andrea has developed a remarkable work ethic throughout her years of employment. This stems from an aspiration to be as efficient and productive as possible. By going above and beyond in the jobs she has held, she has been able to assist with improvements in the respective departments to enhance the workflow, ultimately resulting in better patient care. This drive for success has transitioned over to her collegiate work as well, which she feels will enrich her career upon graduation to provide the utmost in patient care and those that she will serve.