Gloria Maestas

I am a graduate of Frenship High School in Wolfforth, TX and I graduated in the top ten percent of my class. I was a member of every student organization as well as HOSA, Health Occupation Students of America, and had earned my CNA license by the time I graduated in 1999. I was recognized nationally for my academic excellence in mathematics. During my high school career, I also played volleyball, club soccer and I was a student athletic trainer. After school, I also worked as a hostess and a waitress thirty hours a week. I have my bachelor’s degree in Biology, focusing on Environmental Sciences from Texas Tech University and I continued my education to study Clinical Laboratory Sciences. My qualifications and abilities are diversified due to my experience in variable environments. As I transitioned between positions I have been able to adapt and learn quickly and I enjoy working with people and in an atmosphere conducive to learning and growth. 

I have had a variety of jobs in the past by being accountable and diligent. I have worked as a sales and customer service associate at several top name companies, a student assistant in a microbial ecology laboratory, and volunteered in local community programs. I have a well-founded medical background, and I have experience in clerical work and computer operating systems. I have many years of technical experience in the medical field along with administrative functions and computer operating systems. I have also had over three years of supervisory experience and teamwork has been a key factor in all my experiences.

For eight years, I worked at University Medical Center in the Clinical Pathology Laboratory. I began my career as a phlebotomist and processor where I became very proficient in specimen collections and processing. This included working with our registration team to include many administrative functions and having a positive rapport with other departments throughout the hospital in regards to patient specimens, billing, laboratory orders, and customer service.  I was offered the opportunity to serve as our Team Lab Chairperson and composer of our monthly Lab Newsletter. These responsibilities included employee of the month recognition, monthly birthday announcements, organizing potlucks, educational information about new employees, and or changes in the lab. For three years, I was responsible for patient account billing charges and credits when our primary billing coordinator was on vacation. This included reviewing patient accounts for registration errors and ensuring that patients are correctly billed for only the testing that was performed as well as ensuring that vendor accounts are billed appropriately.  I worked in the microbiology department where I perform a variety of functions to include: set up specimens that are sent to lab, ensure that the test ordered is appropriate for the specimen type sent, redistribution of specimens to other departments, and inventory management.  I took pride in making sure our microbiology department is clean, organized, and stocked.  I qualify to work as a laboratory technician according to CLIA regulation §493.1489, Standard testing personnel qualifications with over twelve hours in both chemistry and biology courses as well as over a year of documented employment training in high complexity testing in chemistry, hematology, and immunology.

For the past three years, I have been an educator and coach at Estacado High School and Dunbar College Preparatory Academy. During this time, I have earned my teaching certificate in all core sciences and CDL drivers license. I have taught environmental science, integrated physics and chemistry, and pre-AP chemistry. I coach soccer, volleyball, basketball, shot put, discus, and cross country track. Becoming an educator has been the most rewarding career for several reasons, and the best advantage is sharing knowledge while building relationships with my students.