WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – When Katrina Slater walks into a classroom at Virginia Peninsula Community College, she brings more than lesson plans. She brings compassion, empathy and familiarity.
Not long ago, Slater sat in the same seats – a student set on changing her life. Today she’s a VPCC instructor in Workforce Development, teaching Phlebotomy Technician and Clinical Medical Assistant. She delights in guiding students toward their goals just as her instructors did when she was a student.
“I’ve been in their shoes. So that understanding, I use that … when my students are falling behind, I will work with them on the weekends. I will work with them outside class hours, just so I can help them achieve their goals because I know their struggle. I know what it’s like, she explained, noting she also adapts lessons for those who have learning challenges.
For Slater, it’s important to meet students with empathy as she knows firsthand the challenges of balancing school, work and family. On top of ensuring students grasp coursework so they can succeed, she has a simple goal – to help students clear the obstacles she can and support them in navigating the ones she can’t.
She wasn’t interested in healthcare originally despite many of her family members in the field trying to steer her in that direction. Before 2020, she worked in retail and briefly in sales. Slater enjoyed the customer interaction because she liked helping people, especially in retail where she took great pleasure in boosting women’s confidence. But when the pandemic hit, she reexamined her priorities.
“That’s when I said, ‘You know what? I’m tired of working seasonal jobs. I want something that’s going to be year-round. You know, I can help people.’ So, I could find some kind of gratification from going to work every day, health care seemed like a smart move,” she said.
“I wanted a good work-life balance, and health care provides that. And it provides job security. I wanted to show my children this is a field you can thrive in if you put in the effort,” added Slater, a mother of four.
She enrolled at VPCC in 2020 and earned her Certified Medical Administrative Assistant certification. A year later, she completed her second Workforce Development training – Clinical Medical Assistant. The certifications allowed her to jump into medical assisting.
Slater admits she wasn’t content simply working in healthcare. She wanted to help others learn how to succeed in the field. When the opportunity to teach came about in 2023, she happily returned to VPCC.
“My favorite (thing) is having a student learn something that they never learned before, seeing that smile come on their face when they finally get it. It’s priceless. That’s what I’m there to do … help them see their life in a profession that they probably didn’t see possible before,” she said.
Slater’s days are full. She teaches four evenings a week at the Historic Triangle Campus in Williamsburg. And when classes end for the session, she takes healthcare positions to stay connected to patient care.
“It’s impossible to keep a day job and teach two classes. So, I choose temporary positions when classes are over … I do medical assisting,” she explained. “It gives me the opportunity to interact with the patient. I love to be that person who shows them that not only do I care about their health, but I also care about their well-being.”
Her students benefit from her clinical knowledge and perspective on caring for patients.
“I try to put that into my students as well. Their job is majority customer service. Patients are our customers, and they should be treated as such. They should be treated with kindness and genuine care … So, I try to teach compassion because that’s what I like to show the patients whenever I get to work in the actual position,” she emphasized.
As for her teaching philosophy, Slater just wants the best for her students.
“I want to change their lives for the better and as long as they believe in themselves and don’t give up, they have a chance,” she said.
Also certified as a phlebotomy technician, patient care technician and Basic Life Support (BLS) instructor, Slater wants to continue learning and has her sights on becoming a registered nurse (RN).
“I definitely want to get that accomplishment under my belt,” she said, adding while earning RN credentials will expand her patient care capabilities it will also allow her to teach more classes.
Although her schedule is jam-packed, Slater finds space for relaxation. Crocheting and painting are favorite pastimes for unwinding. She also enjoys outdoor activities including hiking, fishing, roller skating and gardening. Time with her children holds her heart above all, though.
“My kids are my support. I have two adult children and two younger children. Collectively, they make sure that if I have a goal, we’re going to all work together,” she said.