Cassie Nelson will tell you she was scared. Scared to register. Scared to apply for financial aid. Scared that the momentum she’d built in a healthcare receptionist role wouldn’t translate into an actual credential.

She did it anyway, and at 21, she’s a registered medical assistant (RMA) with a job in her field and a plan for what comes next.

A disrupted start

As a high school senior juggling dual enrollment classes at the College of Southern Maryland (CSM), Cassie’s future was full of possibilities. Then in 2020, COVID-19 hit and everything changed.

“COVID ruined a lot for me,” Cassie says. “It ruined my senior year, as well as my first year of college.” The impact stretched across two crucial years of her education. Like many students navigating the pandemic, Cassie struggled with online learning. “I couldn’t learn from a Google Meet where I’m at my house and could lie in my bed,” she explains. “I needed to get up and go to school and be face-to-face.”

After graduating high school in 2021, Cassie decided to pause her education. “I was just mentally unwell,” she admits. What was supposed to be a short break turned into over a year of working and figuring out her next steps.

Finding her way back

For about a year, Cassie worked full-time in food service. In 2022, she landed a job as a healthcare receptionist, which gave her experience in the medical field. She started thinking about returning to school, but the idea felt daunting.

That’s when ReUp and her Success Coach, Coach Lucas, came into her life. “Coach Lucas gave me resources — career information that helped and different quizzes that CSM offered,” Cassie recalls. “That’s what helped me pick the medical assisting program.”

But knowing what you want to do and doing it are two different things. Cassie was nervous about diving back in. “I was so scared to take the initiative of registering for class,” she admits. Coach Lucas’s encouragement made the difference. “The biggest piece of advice, especially from Coach Lucas, was to jump in head first,” Cassie says.

Coach Lucas helped Cassie navigate financial aid too, territory she’d been avoiding. “I wasn’t even going to apply for FAFSA, but he pushed me to do it,” she shares.

Riding the ups and downs

Once back in school, motivation was a real and ongoing challenge. “I struggle with motivation a lot,” she admits. “But Coach Lucas kept me on track.” Whether it was addressing forgotten assignments, scheduling conflicts, or financial aid questions, Coach Lucas was there. “I always had a resource for everything, even if my resource was just Coach Lucas.”

What struck Cassie most was how much he cared about her overall well-being. “Every time I had a bad day, he asked me what I was doing to take care of myself. That meant a lot to me.”

The real test came during her clinical rotations. “Doing your clinical rotation for the first time, especially in the medical field, is intense,” she remembers. But it was also where everything clicked. On her first day, Cassie successfully completed a blood draw, a task she had struggled with in class. It was a moment of triumph that confirmed she’d made the right call.

A dream realized

In August 2024, Cassie received her RMA certification at her pinning ceremony, a chance to celebrate with her whole family in a way she couldn’t for her high school graduation.

“I was only able to have a few people there and I had to wear my mask [for high school],” Cassie explains. “But this felt really good — for me to have all my family there, no masks, and just like it should be.”

Her clinical experience led directly to a job offer, with Coach Lucas supporting her through the entire process. “We honestly talked through the whole thing — from the moment they gave me my job offer to the moment I started my first day.”

Now she’s considering additional certifications, including one in medical coding, and she’s excited about her career prospects. The impact of working with ReUp and Coach Lucas extended beyond her own path: Cassie recommended the program to her cousin and best friend, both of whom also worked with Coach Lucas on their own goals. “Coach Lucas became like my best friend,” she says.

---

Learner pro tip “You’ve got to put yourself all in, give it everything — even if it scares you. Just try it out because you don’t know what’s going to happen.” — Cassie Nelson