When one door closes, another one opens.
That's what some victim's of the down economy are learning to be true.
It’s an emotional milestone for Cora Humalon.She has spent a year working hard to reach graduation day from Hawaii Medical Institute.
“A lot of studying, focusing on getting our grades up keeping our grades up and not falling off track,” said Humalon with a smile.
Now she has all the skills she needs to become a medical assistant.
But this wasn't her original plan.
“I got laid off from the state and it was a program from unemployment that put me through this medical assistant schooling so I took advantage of it and I think it was the right move for me.”
Humalon isn't alone.
The Hawaii Medical Institute has seen an up tick in students since the economy turned sour.
Starting with the shuttering of Aloha Airlines.
“We had a lot of people from Aloha come and join the school and now some of them are working as pharm techs at Kaiser, some of them are working as billers and coders,” said Ashton Cudjoe of Hawaii Medical Institute.
Cudjoe says even former construction workers are enrolling.
“Because the economy has been the way it is people feel that healthcare is the best field to be in, so we're probably the only school that's focused on only healthcare.”
To meet demand, the Hawaii Medical Institute has taken over more rooms in this building on Kapiolani Boulevard.
Sunday, 35 proud graduates received their certificates, ready to take on the healthcare industry.
“Now it's just a matter of job hunting and hopefully get hired soon,” Humalon said.
Hawaii Medical Institute has been open for four years.
