Kristen Deckert will be a second year student at Newman University in the fall and expects to graduate from the radiologic technology program in May, 2017. Deckert was honored to be chosen as a Kansas representative at the American Society of Radiologic Technologists (ASRT) Educational Symposium. The ASRT event was held in Las Vegas in late June, and Deckert was one of two students from Kansas chosen to attend. Shayley Miller, from Fort Hays State University, was also chosen to attend as a representative from Kansas.
The students were chosen as part of the Student Leadership Development Program which was developed to encourage more student involvement. During their time at the symposium, students discover the inner workings of the organization, attend the Annual House of Delegates meeting and meet the president and CEO of ASRT.
This opportunity also gave Deckert the advantage of networking with some people from all around the country. When asked how she sees this type of exposure helping her future career, she responded, “I have made so many connections that will help me. It’s one of the main reasons I wanted to go.”
To be considered for a state representative, Deckert needed to write an essay and have a program director’s reference and recommendation. “It’s a long process,” said Deckert. “I applied a year before the event and was accepted in January of 2016.”
Each day of the symposium had something different to offer for the students. The first day included a dinner where each representative was given a short introduction of the event. Deckert said she enjoyed every part of the four-day event, and will take away some new leadership skills and knowledge that she would otherwise not have gained.
“We got to learn about the elements of the new American Registry of Radiologic Technologist exam and received some great study tips,” said Deckert. “We also learned about radiation risk and the amount of research regarding cancer rates in the future.”
Deckert grew up in Wichita and attended Heights High School before receiving a bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science at the University of Kansas. She switched gears last year to become a radiologic technologist. She hopes to stay in Wichita and work at Via Christi-St. Francis while completing an MRI certification program.
