Heidi is an Ohio surgical technologist and a proud second-generation Stautzenberger graduate. She still remembers sitting at her mom’s Stautz graduation, watching that diploma open doors to a successful career in the travel industry. Years later, after building a career in caregiving as a nursing assistant, Heidi returned to Toledo with her eyes on Stauz, and finally, made her way into the OR. Here’s her #StautzStory.
“Stautzenberger has always been part of my life. I remember my mom going to school there, and I was at her graduation. I watched what that diploma did for her … and that stayed with me.
Before Stautzenberger, my mom worked in a factory and dealt with carpal tunnel and tendinitis. After she graduated, she built a real career in the airline industry. She started at the Toledo Airport, then worked at Cleveland Hopkins for Continental before it became United. She found stability. She was offered opportunities. She got to travel. I remember one time she even went to Dublin for the day on her birthday. Seeing that showed me what was possible.
Even as a nursing assistant, I had always wanted to work in surgery. When I moved back to Toledo, I finally decided to go for it, and Stautzenberger felt like the right choice. It was part of my family history. Going back to school in my forties wasn’t easy, and people definitely asked why I’d make such a big change at that point in my life. But I knew this was what I wanted to do. Surgery is a tough part of healthcare, but it’s also incredibly rewarding. Every day, you’re learning something new. You don’t leave work without gaining knowledge, and that keeps me excited to show up.
As a surgical tech, we do a lot in the operating room that people don’t always see. We set up the OR and keep everything sterile. Once that back table is open, you’re locked in, watching your field like a hawk. That takes confidence, and that confidence came from my education.
One of the best parts of Stautzenberger was the personal environment. The classrooms were smaller, and you never felt like you weren’t being heard or that you had to learn at someone else’s pace. One of my instructors, Dana Richards, came into my life at exactly the right time and made a huge difference for me.
My advice is simple: if you feel like you want to go back to school, there’s a reason. Don’t wait. The longer you put it off, the longer you’re away from something that could make you truly happy. I’m excited to go to work every day … and that makes all the difference.”
She began working full-time at Mercy St. Vincent Medical Center in 2022, currently with a traveling company in OH.