A-B Tech Student Courtney Nevers Keeps Her Eye on the Prize

When faced with difficult choices, studies show most people often go the easy route and opt for short-term gain over long-term value.

A-B Tech student and phlebotomist Courtney Nevers knew the road wouldn’t be easy when she opted to go back to school to become a medical laboratory technician, but she took the plunge anyway.

A wife and mother who worked full-time, Nevers knew the next few years would require a lot of sacrifice. She would have to find childcare for her children and cut back on family time and work hours to commit to her studies and practicum. But, after working for 10 years as a phlebotomist, the ambitious 32-year-old felt ready for a change. “As a phlebotomist, you’re the face of the lab,” she said. “I want now to be behind the scenes as a tech.”

Nevers was able to see past short-term challenges to the light at the end of the tunnel.

“The demand is very high,” she said. “The pandemic created a higher demand for jobs, and it’s a prime time to find a job. And the average income [for medical lab techs] is $57,000 per year.”

Nevers, who graduated with a certificate from A-B Tech’s phlebotomy program in 2013, chose to return to her alma mater because of its great reputation and strong community connections. After applying, she also learned about scholarships and the Counterbalance program, a grant program funded by the Dogwood Health Trust that offers qualifying students help with tuition, childcare, and cost of books.

I talked to someone to see if I qualified, and I did,” Nevers said. “It paid for my tuition and all my books.”

Thanks to a partnership the college has with the YMCA, Nevers was also able to receive childcare for her daughter for one semester, which meant she could devote herself fully to her studies. “That was a godsend,” she said. “It was completely free.”

Nevers will soon see all her hard work pay off. She is on track to graduate in May and hopes to find a job working in a hospital where she can put her laboratory detective skills to use. “I enjoy that setting with the variety of patients and specimens coming in. I’m excited to be that detective and help doctors come up with a diagnosis for the patient,” she said.

The application period for Fall 2024 admission to the Medical Laboratory Technology program, as well as other healthcare and nursing programs, is now open. The deadline to apply is March 15, 2024.

Learn more at abtech.edu/welcome or call (828) 398-7900.