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Not many people can say they’ve earned two college degrees while working full-time and raising two kids. But, then again, most people aren’t Nakeya Hopkins.

Recently, Hopkins advanced her associate in medical assisting degree (ASMAS) with a bachelor’s in healthcare management at С����. Today, she’s a registered medical assistant working as an aide for elderly residents at an assisted living facility near Toledo, Ohio. She’s right where she wants to be in her career, but it’s taken a lot of hard work and perseverance to get there.

After two years of college, Hopkins took a break to focus on working and raising her first child. She always planned to return to school to improve her job prospects and to make a better life for her family.

“Quitting wasn’t an option for me,” she said. “I was determined to finish my degree.”

She began looking for schools in her area and she came across С����. Coming from a bigger college, Hopkins appreciated the small class sizes and the roster of qualified faculty. She was also intrigued by Herzing’s online medical assisting program, which would position her for entry-level jobs in healthcare.

“I always knew that I wanted to go into healthcare, but I had never thought about pursuing medical assisting,” Hopkins recalled. “I learned about the medical assisting program at Herzing – and how popular it was – and that got me thinking.”

Hopkins may have been ahead of the curve. An aging baby boomer population has driven demand for healthcare services sky-high in recent years. Medical assistants are becoming an increasingly important part of the healthcare team, as hospitals and healthcare facilities strive to accommodate the needs of a growing patient population.

Hopkins’ timing was ideal. It was a good time to go back to school – and an even better time to pursue a healthcare degree.

Employment for medical assistants is anticipated to grow by as much as 15 percent through 2033 according to the . This will create around 119,800 new job openings each year.