More than 40 years after graduating from high school, the last place that Linda Luthke thought she would find herself was back in a classroom. In a one-month period of time, Luthke was diagnosed with cancer and laid off from her job of 30 years as a food server at Resorts Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City. Luthke said she was “lost.”
But it didn’t take Luthke long to find herself and take a negative and turn it into a big positive by enrolling at Prism Career Institute in West Atlantic City, N.J. to study Medical Assisting.
“The day I was cancer free, I decided to take my daughter’s advice and go back to school,” she said.
After graduating from Prism, Luthke today finds herself employed as a receptionist at Atlantic Medical Imaging in Cape May, pursuing her dream of working in the medical field.
“For my entire life, I always wanted to be in the medical field,” she said. “I visited three schools and Prism seemed to want the best for me. I am not ready to retire even though I am just three years away. Being a food server in a casino was monetarily great but it was time to do what I have always dreamed of doing.”
Luthke enjoyed her time at Prism, despite the challenge of returning to school after so many years in the workforce.
“I really had to learn how to juggle my family obligations with school,” she said. “My experience was a big eye opener. I pretty much felt I could read my assignment and remember it, but no way. I had to study and study and after some advice from (instructor) Miss Mia (Blansett), my grades improved.”
Learning medical terminology and anatomy prepared Luthke for her current position, she said.
“I believe that success is feeling good about what I have accomplished whether it is finishing a book or saving a life,” she said. “I think people who like people and want to help them heal will succeed at Prism. Look at me. I started a new career at the age of 60.”
In her graduation speech, Luthke summed up her experience at Prism.
“There were bumps in the road. There were hills and valleys. Sometimes I wasn’t sure if I would make it but I did. It took commitment perseverance and sacrifice, but boy it was well worth the struggle. The old adage – nothing in life that’s worth getting is ever easy.”