As the newly-appointed director of operations at the Community Health Interpreting Testing and Training Service (CHITTS) at James Madison University, April Herring Hicks ‘19 oversees 85 medical interpreters who speak 13 different languages. Last year, they provided over 25,000 hours of interpreting services in medical settings, social services, public schools, and other businesses around Rockingham and Augusta County – helping vulnerable populations access important services.
“There’s a lot of need in the community,” Hicks says.
The program is growing, too – Hicks hired 10 new interpreters at the end of the year to keep up with the demand. Hicks was promoted to the directorship in October. She attributes this achievement in part to what she learned in the Accelerated Degree Program at Eastern Mennonite University (EMU).
READ MORE: Letitia Bates ’16 (below) owns a thriving life coaching business.
‘Directly applicable’ to work
“Often times, what we were studying in class at EMU was directly applicable to what I was doing at work. My contribution was valued and made a real difference and resulted in the promotion to my current position,” Hicks says.
Adults who want to return to school can qualify for the program if they hold at least 48 college credits from another institution, a 2.0 cumulative grade point average, and are at least 23 years old. The program meets over four consecutive semesters, one night per week, with about a third of the sessions held online simultaneously. Students earn a bachelor of science degree in Leadership and Organizational Management.
Hicks isn’t just busy at the office, though. She’s dedicated to spending quality time with family: her husband, Bryan, two children, and three step-children. So when she wanted to continue her education, it was important to her that she could do so without sacrificing too much at home or work.
“I liked EMU because it still offered some classroom time, and was offered at a time that didn’t interfere with work,” Hicks says. “The idea of a cohort, also, was appealing to me, going through it with the same group of people.”
Persistence pays off
Before Hicks joined the interpreting service, she worked in healthcare as a radiologic technologist. After 14 years in the field, she wanted to continue her education, while staying connected to the profession. Hicks found a part-time job at CHITTS, and began taking classes at Blue Ridge Community College to finish her bachelor’s degree. The everyday demands of life got in the way. Hicks ended up working full-time at the hospital again, until CHITTS converted her former job into a full-time position.
Despite her busy schedule, including getting married and buying a house, Hicks hadn’t given up her ambition for that degree, but it needed to work with her schedule.
EMU’s “15 months program was attractive to me,” Hicks explains.
While enrolled, Hicks began drawing upon her leadership and organizational management courses to help shepherd her workplace through a transitional period.
“It helped me as we created new jobs and job descriptions,” she says. “My advice was taken.”