After graduating with an Associate of Applied Science degree in 2007, Sherrell Washington found her calling in life—working with older adults, whom she affectionately refers to as “God’s fine china.”
“My first job as a physical therapy assistant was working with athletes,” Washington said. “I thought that was the direction I wanted my career to take. However, when I took a second job working for a home health agency, I started working with senior citizens and found that this population is wonderful. They have great stories to tell, and I love getting to know them. I’ve been doing rehab with older adults for about 15 years.”
Washington is currently employed by Creative Solutions in Healthcare, a company based in Fort Worth that operates nursing homes across Texas. For the past year, she has served as rehab director at Buena Vida Nursing and Rehabilitation in Odessa while completing a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Health Services Management at Midland College. Before this role, she was the rehab director at Sienna Nursing and Rehabilitation for four years.
In May, Washington earned her Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Health Services Management with an emphasis on Health Care Administration from Midland College. She is now taking an online long-term care certification course and plans to apply for a license in long-term care administration after completing 1,000 clinical hours.
“The first step in being licensed as a long-term care administrator was to obtain a bachelor’s degree,” she explained. “Thankfully, Midland College offers a bachelor’s degree in Health Services Management that is completely online. That went well with my busy schedule of working 40+ hours at a long-term care facility and then also working part-time with two different home health agencies.”
For her final capstone project, Washington developed a director of rehab training manual intended for use by other facilities operated by Creative Solutions.
“The professors in Midland College’s Health Information Management and Health Services Management programs are amazing!” she said. “The courses were exactly what I needed for long-term care administration. They covered leadership, working with employees, employment law and even tips on balancing work and personal life.”
Outside of work, Washington enjoys watching football—especially college football—and traveling off the beaten path. One favorite destination is Balmorhea State Park in West Texas; she has also visited Mexico's interior and frequently travels to see family in Arkansas. In late December or early January, she plans to visit Thailand.
Washington has lived most of her life in Odessa after moving there from San Angelo at age eight and graduated from Permian High School in 2000. She has two children: Aariell who is 22 years old and Jackson who is 18.
Midland College provides numerous programs and options for students seeking information about opportunities available through its Welcome Center.