First generation college student Ashleigh Capriotti ’21 landed a job at Manchester Memorial Hospital as an X-ray and MRI technologist before she even graduated from UHart. The four-year program that she finished this May leads to a Bachelor of Science degree in Radiologic Technology. Graduates of the University of Hartford’s Radiologic Technology program enjoy nearly 100 percent job placement within 12 months of graduation.
Beginning in the second year of their studies, Radiologic Technology students complete clinical rotations at one of UHart’s 15 affiliate partners, including major hospitals and private imaging offices. This hands-on experience is supervised by practicing medical-imaging professionals and gives students like Ashleigh the opportunity to apply what they’ve learned in the classroom. Ashley says, “Through the clinical experiences I had at the University of Hartford, I was able to build relationships, make connections, and prove my hard work ethic to help me eventually get hired.”
She continued, “In our program we are required to fulfill a certain number of clinical hours, and Manchester Memorial Hospital was one of my clinical sites. Without this opportunity I probably wouldn’t have thought to apply there. I was able to get hands-on experience working directly with patients and experienced technologists.” The job outlook for radiologic technologists is strong. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that employment will grow 13 percent by 2026, faster than the average for all occupations.
Capriotti, who is from New Jersey, says, “I come from a small town and the thing that attracted me most to UHart was the small class sizes. I like having a personal connection with my professors and fellow classmates. We all truly became a family. My professors and my peers were my biggest cheerleaders.”
As a first-generation college student, she didn’t know what to expect from the college experience, including classwork, clinicals, and post-college job placement. “I’m grateful for the overwhelming support of my professors, friends and family. I pushed myself to succeed in ways I didn’t know I could. Looking back, I am proud to say that I graduated from the University of Hartford,” comments Capriotti.
Although it involved a lot of hard work and dedication, Ashleigh believes it’s true when they say college is the best four years of your life. “I graduated alongside my best friends from freshman year and I am excited to see where we all end up! All I know for sure is that we can all look back on all great memories we have made as being Hawks.” Originally, Ashleigh was going to return to New Jersey upon graduation, but she liked Connecticut so much that she decided to begin her permanent career here.
Capriotti’s advice to incoming Radiologic Technology students? She says it’s important to “be true to yourself, do the best you can, and always find a reason to smile.”
Ashleigh Capriotti '21, Radiologic TechnologyI like having a personal connection with my professors and fellow classmates. We all truly became a family. My professors and my peers were my biggest cheerleaders.”