Lina Agha has always had a passion for science and medicine. Earning her graduate degree 100% online has enabled her to share this passion with others.<\/p>\n
Agha, who graduated in 2017 with a Master\u2019s in Healthcare Administration with a specialization in Strategic Leadership<\/a><\/strong> from Valparaiso University, had the opportunity to teach within her field of nuclear medicine.<\/p>\n \u201cMy master\u2019s degree allowed me to actually teach at a college within my experience, thus opening up another opportunity for me in the education field.\u201d<\/p>\n We spoke with Agha about her background, academic journey and more.<\/p>\n Q. Tell us about your background.<\/strong><\/p>\n I am from Chicago but lived in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), including Dubai and Abu Dhabi, when I was young because my parents, who are physicians, worked there for some time. I pursued my BS in Molecular Biology and then went to a certification school in nuclear medicine technology at Northwestern in Chicago.<\/p>\n I have always had a passion for science and medicine, and always wanted to have a career in providing a high quality of care, which is highly needed in any medical setting. I worked in the diagnostic imaging field in the U.S. and was stationed at Johns Hopkins Medicine. Later on, I worked in the Cleveland Clinic in the UAE to bring about state-of-the-art diagnostic healthcare to that region given the experience I had. With such a career and while working and climbing up to leadership positions, I went on to pursue my master\u2019s, which opened up many other career options.<\/p>\n Q. What were the most important factors in your decision to choose Valparaiso University?<\/strong><\/p>\n I was very determined to be part of an accredited program<\/a><\/strong> as well as one strong in the healthcare field. Valparaiso was able to give me that while continuing my full workload.<\/p>\n Q. How will your Valpo degree make a difference in your career?<\/strong><\/p>\n My degree actually opened up another great opportunity for me to teach within my field of nuclear medicine! Earning my master\u2019s is one of the best decisions I have made, especially with not being able to work full-time now with having kids.<\/p>\n Q. Do you have any plans now that you have your degree?<\/strong><\/p>\n Having to resign from my lead nuclear medicine technologist position overseas and return to the U.S. with my kids, I looked for an opportunity where I could teach within my field. My master\u2019s degree allowed me to actually teach at a college related to my experience, thus opening up another opportunity for me in the education field.<\/p>\n Q. What surprised you most about taking an online program?<\/strong><\/p>\n I was surprised by the similarity in the science\/medical field amongst all the students with their different backgrounds despite the distance between all students and faculty. I was also surprised by how closely we worked together and achieved actual project implementation, all through effective communication online!<\/p>\n Q. What was your favorite class and why?<\/strong><\/p>\n Quality Health Care Management<\/a><\/strong>. It is such a hot topic in the healthcare field no matter what country you work in. Everything revolves around it; the success of a healthcare institution\/facility lies in quality. We worked as a team \u2013 I actually led the team to finish up the assignments, which resulted in a strong A as our grade. On top of that, I have learned so many tools and techniques to apply quality healthcare to any department.<\/p>\n Q. What was your most valuable takeaway from the program?<\/strong><\/p>\n My most valuable takeaway was how to strategically apply any project or change anywhere in the facility I work at, along with strong skills in leadership and team effort.<\/p>\n Q. What advice would you give other students who are considering enrolling in the program?<\/strong><\/p>\n