As a nurse aide, Stephanie Casimiro loved having a hands-on approach to healthcare. She loved the direct connection she had with her patients. But she also grew interested in the work less visible to the people she was helping.

So after several years, she decided she could help even more by transitioning to the administrative side of the healthcare system, a transition later aided by earning her Project Management Certificate from UCLA Extension. The lessons she learned there continue to apply to the work she does today.

Since she was young, Casimiro has always aspired to help people. She attended Mt. San Antonio College and completed her training through an adult vocational nursing program. She found the work satisfying, but she was also drawn to other aspects that impacted the patient experience.

“While working closely with clinical teams, I became very interested in the operational side of healthcare and how strong organization and leadership could improve both patient and staff workflows.” she said “That curiosity naturally led me toward administrative work and eventually sparked my interest in project management and leadership.”

Casimiro gradually transitioned out of direct patient care and into learning how to run a team and watch over those various “unseen” tasks like helping people navigate the paperwork and bureaucracy of the modern healthcare system.

“Administration is a part of healthcare that not many people think about instantly,” she said. “I found out more about it through my career at the time, and when I did, I grew interested enough to try and make a career transition.”

After taking on smaller jobs at different places to gain experience and get a feeling for administrative work, she knew she wanted to do even more. When Casimiro saw an opening at UCLA Health, she applied right away. It took 15 interviews to secure the position, but it was all worth it in her eyes. Casimiro couldn’t see herself anywhere else.

“I’m happy I didn’t take ‘no’ for an answer,” she said. “I kept on trying and here I am today.”

Casimiro worked at UCLA Health for about four years before realizing that there was more to learn in order to increase her responsibilities in the organization. She wanted to take on more leadership roles and work with other people closely. She began researching ways that she could grow in her career and came upon UCLA Extension's Project Management Certificate Program.

“I think that I made a pretty quick decision since I already had a clear goal in mind.” she said. “I needed something I could complete while working full time, and as soon as I found out about UCLA Extension's program, I knew it was the one.”

Casimiro knew she wanted to better utilize her experience with one-on-one patient care as well as get a better grasp on the non-clinical side of the health field. She wanted to learn more about how to better lead a team to success.

“With UCLA Extension, something that really helped me was the practical aspects of working in a team,” she said. “I learned more about risk assessments and scope management – all very important things for leading a taskforce. What I’ve learned has allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of healthcare operations, collaboration and leadership.”

Casimiro believes that her experience as a nurse gives her the perspective one usually wouldn't see from someone who was on the administrative side. And it is that viewpoint that allows her to flourish. Since graduating with her certificate a year ago, Casimiro has directly applied what she learned to her work.

“UCLA Extension has allowed me to grow professionally within my current role at UCLA Health.” she said. “I’ve been fortunate to advance within my organization through internal promotions, which has been very rewarding and has reinforced my passion for healthcare administration even more.”

The knowledge and skills she obtained opened doors to leadership opportunities far beyond project management roles, and motivates her to keep learning as she goes. While she has finished her certificate, she knows that there is always more to learn.

“After all, the finish line hasn’t been reached yet,” she said. “I want to step into a leadership role where I can improve operations, support teams, and make a larger impact on patient care.”

Casimiro is still working toward stepping into a formal leadership role, and UCLA Extension has helped strengthen her confidence, skills and vision for where she wants to grow within healthcare.

“UCLA Health has become a long-term career opportunity I never expected, and one I’m incredibly grateful for.” she said. “I love working here. And being able to grow as a person and healthcare professional is very important to me.”