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Education Feature: Radiological technology students complete program

CNJ staff photo: Liliana Castillo Christopher Miller, the only male in the 12-student radiological technologies program at Clovis Community College, laughs with his classmates as they wait for the pinning ceremony to start Wednesday outside CCC’s Town Hall.

Christopher Miller has spent two years with 11 women.

The radiological technologies program at Clovis Community College will held their pinning ceremony Wednesday evening, and Miller was the only male of the 12 graduates.

“It’s great, I made lots of friends,” Miller said. “I mostly stay in my corner and mind my own business.”

Miller, a Clovis native, said the six semesters of classes is the first time he’s been the only male in a school setting, but it never bothered him.

“We’re a quiet class, all of us,” Miller said, shunning the idea that his female classmates chatted too much during class.

Besides making friends, Miller said the program gave him a leg up professionally. After working as a roofer for two years, Miller is excited for the change.

“I’m glad they have this kind of stuff at the college,” Miller said. “It gives people a chance to better themselves.”

Jeannie Kilgore, the radiological technology department director, said it’s unusual that the 12 students who started the program are all graduating together.

“It’s always nice when you keep all 12 that you start with,” Kilgore said. “They’re a good group of students. We’re proud of them.”

According to Kilgore, the students needed 30 hours of hands-on work each week during the last three semesters of the program and had to travel to Cannon Air Force Base, Roosevelt General Hospital, Lovington, Hobbs, Roswell and Tucumcari.

The workload as well presented challenges for Tasha Harvey, another student in the program, who got married a month before starting the program.

“It was very stressful,” said Harvey as she described the hours spent away from her husband for class and clinicals during the week, and then away from him while working on the weekends. “It was a huge workload.”

Harvey said the stress brought the small class together.

“We’ve really grown together,” Harvey said. “We are always helping each other.”

Both students agreed that the difficult program is worth it.

“We take pictures that help doctors and surgeons diagnose patients,” Miller said. “It’s very important.”

 
 
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