HAMLET — Kirsten Fields went from working at a Wawa deli counter to a career in cardiology, proving how a single certification can transform a life in just a few months.
Living in Petersburg, Virginia, 26-year-old Kirsten was looking for an affordable way to break into the medical field. She discovered Richmond Community College almost by accident, initially thinking it was in Richmond, Virginia, but that “happy accident” turned out to be the bridge to her future.
In 2025, Kirsten enrolled in RichmondCC’s Medical Office Administrative Assistant class, a focused online program that ran from August to December. For her, the appeal was clear: It offered a direct path into the medical field without years of schooling or thousands of dollars in college debt. Under the supportive guidance of RichmondCC’s Healthcare Management Technology Program Coordinator Arlinda Billingsley, Kirsten mastered the essentials of medical billing and coding, gaining the confidence she needed to transition out of her job at Wawa…