William Gallegos tries to be a leader, not just in his job, but in life as well.
“I’m big on mentoring because I didn’t have a mentor growing up. I didn’t have a leader to show me the way,” Gallegos, now in a leadership position at the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, said. “Now, I’m in the position where I can open the door for others and let them know that they have options, especially when it comes to nursing.”
While studying for his bachelor of science in nursing at West Coast University, Gallegos became interested and saw value in the administrative side of health care, and wanted to be a part of it.
“During my BSN, I learned that an administrator can impact patient outcomes while keeping costs down and really keeping the doors open in the hospital,” he said. “That’s when I realized that I wanted to be involved in nursing but in this side of the business.”
Now, a recent graduate of WCU’s master in health administration (MHA) program, Gallegos strives to influence each of his fellow nurses and colleagues to be leaders every day.
“When you think of a leader, everyone automatically thinks like someone like an administrator or a chief nursing officer but many times we forget that in our everyday life we’re leaders,” he said. “We’re advocating for our patients, day in and day out and that’s one of the many facets of being a leader.”
WCU provides career guidance and assistance but cannot guarantee employment. The views and opinions expressed are those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect the beliefs or position of the school or of any instructor or student.
