Student Spotlight - Innessa Krykun

Tell me a little bit about yourself, including the degree or certificate you earned from EvCC.

My name is Innessa Krykun. My parents were both born and raised in Ukraine. I’m a first-generation college student, and I’m the 3rd oldest of 9 siblings. I am the first sibling to get a college degree. My degree is an AAS-DTA (Associate in Arts and Science - Direct Transfer Agreement). I started EvCC by having my major be in nursing, and recently I have changed my major to Medical Billing and Coding. The prerequisites for the Nursing Program added up and allowed me to get an AAS-DTA degree. I am really proud that I was able to get this degree, because I didn’t think that I would be able to afford college because of my family's low income. I only started considering college as a realistic path during my junior and senior years of high school, when I heard about the FAFSA and scholarships.

Why did you choose EvCC?

I wanted to go to college, but didn’t want to go far because I still wanted to live at home. EvCC was the perfect fit. EvCC was also a more affordable college option. The EvCC saying, “Stay Close…Go Far” was something that really applied to me. 

What do you plan to do next?

My plan is to complete the Medical Billing and Coding Program at EvCC. My original major was Nursing, but that didn’t work out. I still wanted to work in the medical field, so I decided to try medical billing and coding. I am fascinated by the medical field and the science behind the human body. This is why I still want to work in the medical field.

What interested you about your area of study?

My interest in medical billing and coding is that it’s a different area in the healthcare field. I always wanted to work in the medical field, and I was surprised that there were way more ways to work in the medical field than I expected. In medical billing and coding, you can still help patients, but in a different way. You also can apply the science of the human body to medical billing and coding, which is what interests me about the medical field.

How do you think the skills you learned at EvCC are helping you reach your goals?

The skills of organization, attention to detail, staying on top of things and planning are skills I learned at EvCC that will help me reach my goals to finish the medical billing and coding program. It will also help me in my future jobs, as well. EvCC also has helped me improve mycommunication with professors and other EvCC departments like Financial Aid, TRiO, and Enrollment Services. Communication skills are great skills to have that can be applied to almost every aspect of life - from personal relationships to patient and provider communications.

Describe the best experience you had at EvCC.

The best experience I had at EvCC was the campus visits and the field trips offered by TRiO. During these trips, I learned about colleges and I had a great time with my fellow students. I also really enjoyed the on-campus labs for my microbiology class. I am taking mostly online classes so these outings and campus labs were a nice change. I was able to make some new friends during these labs, and we still sometimes talk about what we are up to now.  I learned that EvCC has some great and kind staff and students who are passionate about what they are studying.

Who has helped you succeed at EvCC? What did that person do to help you?

Linda Summers was my very first TRiO advisor back in September 2020, my first year at EvCC. She inspired me to keep moving forward and helped me realize that the things I did before I attended EvCC and while I studied at EvCC mattered. It was still during the pandemic, and Linda really helped me with the feelings I had of hopelessness, during the pandemic. Emily Veitia Gonzalez, my current TRiO advisor, really helped me explore other career options when I was confused about what I wanted to do. She helped me contact many different EvCC departments such as the Career Center, Workforce Funding, Enrollment, Financial Aid, etc. She helped me learn about information sessions for different medical fields and contacted many different colleges about the medical fields that they have. She also helped direct me to staff members who could help me more with learning about the medical billing and coding program. She is my cheerleader, and I really appreciate everything she has done for me.

What advice do you have for new students? 

It’s okay to be scared and confused. You should ask for help, instead of staying in confusion. It is also okay to not know exactly what you want to do right now. Try something new like a new class or a new elective - it might surprise you. 

How did TRiO Student Support Services help you? 

They helped me in many ways. One way is the PAX test boot camp which is basically a tutor group. After this boot camp, I was able to pass the PAX test on my first attempt. TRiO  helped me open new opportunities for how I can pay for college and provided many different information sessions on careers. During these information sessions, people who are actually from those fields were present and they described what they do. This was really informative. TRiO helped guide me through college, because this was all very new for me because I am a first-generation college student. TRiO has helped me grow in confidence in my college studies because I knew that I had someone to turn to when I needed help.

How did your EvCC Foundation scholarship help you?

It helped me afford college and be a safety boat when financial aid didn’t cover all the classes. I come from a low-income family, so without the extra scholarship funds I would not be able to finish my classes for the AAS degree. I am really thankful for them and what they do to help students who want to continue their education, but can’t afford it. The EvCC Foundation has helped me realize that there are people out there that are willing to help; you just need to reach out. 

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

College is not always easy, but it’s an investment for your future. EvCC has some amazing professors and faculty who are always willing to help. I am really glad that I chose EvCC, because they helped me grow in confidence and helped me learn many new skills that I can apply to all aspects of my life.