Jessica Patel
Bachelor of Science, Healthcare Management
Savannah Campus
Class of 2009
When asked her favorite place in the world she’s traveled, 21-year-old South University student, Jessica Patel says, “Hands down – the area between Jaipur and Agra, India – just south of New Delhi. It’s so beautiful there, and it’s where the Taj Mahal is located.”
Her first vision of the solid marble mausoleum, built by the Emperor Shah Jahan for his wife left Jessica speechless. “The whole thing was built out of familial love. A man loved his wife so dearly that even in her death he wanted to protect her and honor her. That’s amazing.”
To Jessica, India and its beauty, however, are not limited just to architecture. Jessica values many aspects of her family’s heritage, and here in America, it’s her love for her family that stirs a vision of success in her.
“My interest in healthcare management came from within my family,” says Jessica, who was raised in Toronto but now resides with her family in Savannah, Georgia. “My parents have taught me to care about and for others, especially the elderly. It hurts me to see someone who has no help, and I’m driven to get my degree in healthcare so I can make a positive change in other people’s lives.”
Jessica’s parents have encouraged her to use her talents to the fullest. “My family was so happy when I started South University in healthcare management, my dad especially. He wants our friends and family to know that his daughter is studying at South University to be a hospital administrator.”
Jessica also knew what she wanted in her studies, a more intimate place to learn than at a large public university. “I was really seeking a more productive environment, and the possibility of one-on-one relationships with professors, and I’ve found it. At South University, I have a number of favorite teachers, and I simply feel like I belong here because I’m surrounded by kind, friendly people— and especially by professors who are helpful and accessible! I think I have really good role models for my work and how I want to see myself in the workplace someday.”
Jessica plans to earn her B.S. in Healthcare Management in December 2009. Her goal is to be working in hospital management as she graduates.
“I’m so thankful for my family’s support and can’t say enough how it’s helping me through college. I love the path I’m on, and I know it’s going to lead me not only to understanding myself better, but also to helping others navigate the road as well.”