Graduate Profile: Adrienne Ramirez
Adrienne Ramirez, DC International PCS ‘25, describes her first day as a DC HEAL Health Information Specialist apprentice at Whitman Walker Health the way she'd describe a seed of a sunflower: uncertain, apprehensive, full of promise. What began as a plan to spend a gap year productively turned into a career launch pad, as Adrienne became a Certified Medical Administrative Assistant and Certified Medical Assistant, gaining hands-on patient care experience and building the direct clinical hours required for medical school admission—a critical first step on her path to becoming a surgeon.
From Sunflower Seed to Full Bloom
Adrienne first heard about the apprenticeship through a teacher, at a moment when she wanted her gap year to count toward something real and realistic: clinical hours for medical school and a steady income. "It allowed me to fully immerse myself in both the administrative and clinical sides of healthcare," she said. By the end of the year, that early uncertainty had given way to something sturdier. "Today, I feel like a bloomed sunflower," she said, "confident in my foundation and ready to adapt and thrive in the changing seasons of my professional journey."
A Coach Who Built Her From the Ground Up
Adrienne points to her first CareerWiseDC coach, Carla, as the person who made the real difference—guiding her through resume-building and interview preparation, and dedicating her time whenever Adrienne needed support. That guidance, paired with a supervisor who tailored training to how Adrienne actually learns and demonstrated procedures step-by-step for a visual learner, gave her the confidence to build real clinical skills.
A Skill Rooted in Trust
Adrienne's proudest skill is advanced clinical communication which she uses daily as a clear, effective liaison between patients, providers, and her internal team. Over the course of her apprenticeship, she honed her ability to deliver complex medical information with precision while staying culturally sensitive and empathetic, making sure patients felt respected and informed throughout their care.
Confirmation, Not a Detour
Adrienne's career direction never wavered. Her goal remains becoming a surgeon. If anything, the apprenticeship confirmed it. "It showed me that healthcare is exactly what I want to pursue," she said. A steady paycheck added its own kind of confirmation: proof that her hard work was translating into a real career as a Certified Medical Assistant.
Looking Ahead
Adrienne's next step is continuing her education on a pre-med track in college full-time, building on the clinical experience, income, and clinical hours her apprenticeship gave her.
Adrienne's journey reflects what CityWorks DC apprenticeships are built to do: give young people the time, mentorship, and hands-on experience to grow not just their skills, but their sense of who they want to become. To learn more about how CityWorks DC helps young people build careers through applied learning, visit cityworksdc.org/programs.
