When I look back on my career as a certified surgical technologist and certified surgical first assistant, what stands out most is how much community, resilience, and passion shaped my journey.
I was fortunate to be hired as a tech assist at the hospital while I was still a student. That early on-the-job experience made the transition to full-time CST the moment I graduated feel natural and empowering. It wasn’t an easy time—right as we started the surgical tech courses I found out I was pregnant with my oldest son. I was terrified I might be pushed out of the program, but I was met with the opposite: the most supportive instructors and classmates who believed in me and helped me keep going. I truly couldn’t have done it without them.
At the hospital I worked mostly in orthopedics—where my heart is. Ortho was fast-paced and exciting, and I loved every minute of it. The surgeons and the team were wonderful to work with; the teamwork, tempo, and focus required on those cases taught me so much about precision and calm under pressure.
Being a hospital CST also meant taking call. The extra pay was helpful, but those nights and weekends were challenging with a baby at home. Balancing parenthood with the unpredictable rhythm of call shifts forced me to become better at planning, asking for support, and prioritizing what mattered most.
After about five years at the hospital, some techs who also worked PRN there recruited me to join a surgery center. I’d gotten to know and love them while working alongside them, so I was thrilled to make the move. The surgery center was a different kind of fast-paced. I got to do a bit of everything: inventory management, surgical cart prep, sterile processing, turnovers, and more. That variety broadened my skills and kept every day engaging.
Throughout my career the constants have been incredible coworkers and mentors—people who taught me, trusted me, and made even the hardest days feel doable. I’m forever grateful to the instructors who supported a pregnant student, the ortho teams who sparked my passion, and the surgery center colleagues and boss who made work feel like a community.
Over the ten years I spent between the hospital and the surgery center, my family grew—twice. My oldest son’s dad and I got married when our son was almost three, and we brought baby number two home from our honeymoon. What happened in Vegas did not stay in Vegas 🙂 Our second child was a little girl, and I had her while still working at the hospital. A few years later, while I was at the surgery center and after my husband and I had split the first time, baby number three arrived as a surprise. I guess I was trying to make up for the college-party years I skipped. That chapter didn’t last long—but he turned out to be the best surprise. Unplanned or not, God knew what our little family needed.
My husband and I did try to rebuild the marriage, but some things just don’t change, and ultimately we divorced. That was an incredibly hard process, but I’m blessed with supportive friends, family, and resilient children who helped me through it. The challenges of single parenting, juggling schedules, and the emotional toll of divorce pushed me to reassess what I wanted and needed from work.
That reassessment led to a career pivot into office management. The skills I’d developed in the OR—organization, calm under pressure, communication, and coordinating teams—translated naturally to managing a busy office. Shifting into office management gave me more predictable hours and stability for my kids. It wasn’t abandoning what I loved about surgery; it was adapting my career to fit the life I was building for my family.
Looking back, those ten years were a tapestry of highs and lows—deep friendships, professional growth, births, marriage, heartbreak, and reinvention. Each experience shaped who I am today: a dedicated mother, a resilient professional, and someone grateful for the people who carried me through.