It’s often said – and something we’ve seen over the past two years – that for most people, working in the medical field is a calling. For 2003 Spartanburg Methodist College graduate Adrienne Jefferies, it was a calling and a family tradition.

“I decided to start working in the medical field because my mother and aunt have been in the field for almost 40 years,” Jefferies said. “So, I thought to myself that if my entire family is in the medical field, maybe I need to do that as well."

Even though she graduated from SMC with an associate degree in criminal justice and went on to finish her bachelor’s in criminal justice, with a minor in psychology, at USC Upstate, the Gaffney native felt a calling to follow her family into healthcare. Her mother, Presphonia, is an insurance billing specialist with Spartanburg Regional Medical Center, and in 2006, Jefferies began working in patient transport there. Fifteen years later, Jeffries is still with the hospital in the role of perioperative assistant in the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU).

Jefferies’ work in the PACU provides critical support to both the surgeons and nurses as well as patients in the hospital for surgery. She helps prepare the operating room for the surgery, prepares the recovery room for the patient, assists the patient following the surgery, and more.

While not directly in her field of study, Jefferies considers her time at SMC to have played an important role in her career today.

“SMC taught me the personal skills to allow me to better interact with my patients and employees,” she said. “It also taught me to multitask and get things done in a timely manner."

Jefferies has such fond memories of her time at SMC that she decided to get involved with the College’s Alumni Council to help promote SMC to others. She said she wanted to help spread the word about what a wonderful experience she had at the College in hopes more students will choose to attend.

“SMC is a wonderful college to attend, and if I could, I would do it all over again to relive the experience I had,” she said of what she would tell a prospective student asking her about attending SMC.

Jefferies particularly points to the lifelong friends she made while attending SMC as important to her experience at the College. She also cited the mentorship she received from Lorna Hanson, a criminal justice professor, and Ms. Porter and Ms. Corn in student support services.

Jefferies’ commitment to SMC and what it meant to her development as a professional is an example of the strong bond students develop at the College. She is a proud Pioneer who is dedicated to sharing her story and spreading the word about the benefits of SMC.