Shaffer selected for society’s student leadership program

Published 01.27.2023

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Nursing & Health Sciences
Radiography
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For the second consecutive year, a Pennsylvania College of Technology student has been selected to the American Society of Radiologic Technologists’ Student to Leadership Development Program.

Elisabeth Shaffer, of Trout Run, began her three-year term on Jan. 1. The 2022 Phi Theta Kappa honor society inductee is pursuing an associate degree in radiography. She also holds a bachelor’s degree from the college in legal assistant-paralegal studies.



For the second consecutive year, a Pennsylvania College of Technology student has been selected to the American Society of Radiologic Technologists’ Student to Leadership Development Program. Elisabeth Shaffer, of Trout Run, is pursuing an associate degree in radiography. She also holds a bachelor’s degree from the college in legal assistant-paralegal studies.“I applied for the ASRT Student to Leadership Development Program in the hopes of learning more about the society and making connections with others in the field,” Shaffer said. “I am interested in the legal aspects of the radiography field and would like to someday be part of the organizations that oversee us. So, I figured this would be a good place to start.”

Each year, the competitive Student to Leadership Development Program accepts two students from each state. Participants complete leadership training and attend the ASRT Annual Educational Symposium, Annual Governance and House of Delegates Meeting, where they represent their school and their state while networking with medical imaging and radiation therapy professionals. This year’s meeting is scheduled in Reno, Nevada, in June.

“I always knew I wanted a career helping people in some way,” Shaffer said. “My first career didn't pan out, so I started researching careers in health care, and honestly, something about radiography enthralled me.

“I mean, of course, there’s the fact that you get to look at the human body from the inside, which is fascinating on its own. The part that really makes me love it, though, is that in most cases, we are the ones who help figure out what is going on inside a person – which can help lead to a proper diagnosis and the beginning of a care plan to relieve their symptoms or find a cure.”

And, she added, radiographic technologists (sometimes referred to as radiographers) can help carry out some care plans, such as radiation therapy.

“To me, that is a very important role to play,” Shaffer said. “Even though we don't physically care for patients for long periods, we have a much bigger impact in their care than most people realize.”

Penn College offers an associate degree in radiography that can be continued to an online bachelor’s degree in applied health studies. To learn more about the college’s radiography program, call 570-327-4519.

For information about the college, a national leader in applied technology education, email the Admissions Office or call toll-free 800-367-9222.