“
When
I think about the core values of GMercyU , I realize that they became the foundation of my career . These values are what have driven my success and are integral to my role at Jefferson Health .”
Graduating from Bishop McDevitt High School in 1986 and growing up in the area , Colleen Saul ʼ90 , ’ 16 had Gwynedd Mercy University on her list of potential schools to attend . As a first-generation college student , Colleen and her parents made a deal that she would be responsible for half of her college tuition and her parents would cover the second half .
After being accepted to GMercyU , Colleen was awarded the Connelly Scholarship , which covered half her tuition expenses for all four years . That made a huge difference in the amount her parents and she each had to contribute .
“ GMercyU met my needs with regard to the size of the college and the fact that I was able to stay home and save money which was important to me ,” Colleen said .
MERCY Makes the
HEART SING
By : Lauren Yancer
where she performed in the annual Carol Nights during the holidays . Even today , Colleen and her family still attend the event to support the University .
“ I really got to understand that sometimes people tell you that you can ’ t do something , but you should at least give it a try and you might have fun with it ,” Colleen said of her time at GMercyU .
Colleen completed an internship at Temple Medical Practice , where she assisted in relocating the practice . Additionally , she learned the administrative and operations side of relocating .
In 2016 , Colleen returned to GMercyU and earned her Master ’ s of Business Administration with a concentration in Strategic Management and Leadership degree .
“ What GMercyU also instilled in me is that learning is a lifelong process . I felt like if I wanted to continue in my career , I needed to obtain my masters and the online Master ’ s program at GMercyU was again another great fit for me ,” Colleen said .
GMercyU was the perfect fit for Colleen both personally and professionally . The flexibility of classes allowed Colleen to keep her job while being a full-time student .
Venturing Out of Her Comfort Zone While Colleen enjoyed her experience in the Health Administration program , Colleen ’ s three favorite classes were actually electives . During her time as an undergrad , Colleen took a media elective where students set up equipment and created a newscast . She thoroughly enjoyed the fun she had in that course .
Another of her favorite classes was “ On Death and Dying ,” where she learned about the ethical challenges surrounding sick and dying individuals . This class taught her how to have an ethical and human approach to the final stage of life .
Sharing the Mercy Tradition Colleen had always wanted to become a doctor to provide people with the best type of care they could get , but she ultimately chose a different path .
Colleen now works at Jefferson Abington , one of Jefferson ’ s eight divisions , as Vice President of Operations . Her favorite part of the job is learning what the clinicians do to care for patients , and she is constantly seeking learning opportunities .
“ It ’ s all about finding a career that makes your heart sing ,” Colleen said . “ I make sure our clinicians have the tools , the infrastructure , and the operations to support that Mercydriven initiative to really care for people compassionately .”
Despite being out of her comfort zone , Colleen also took a one credit music class and joined the Voices of Gwynedd ,
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