A "typical week" is anything but for alumna Alexis I. Ashby, a certified surgical technologist for UPMC Williamsport, whose Penn College education has prepared her well for the unpredictable ebb and flow of cases through the hospital's operating rooms. In a newly published blog post, Ashby – who holds an associate degree in surgical technology (2018) and a bachelor's in applied health studies: surgical technology concentration (2020) – sensitively expresses appreciation for her life and gratitude for the opportunity to improve others' lives. "I have done tracheotomies in the ICU, emergency bowel resections at 3 in the morning and leg amputations on those too young to be without," she writes. "As a surgical technologist, you are a part of an amazing system of saving lives and impacting those who are not always aware of your impact on their health and well-being."A "typical week" is anything but for alumna Alexis I. Ashby, a certified surgical technologist for UPMC Williamsport, whose Penn College education has prepared her well for the unpredictable ebb and flow of cases through the hospital's operating rooms. In a newly published blog post, Ashby – who holds an associate degree in surgical technology (2018) and a bachelor's in applied health studies: surgical technology concentration (2020) – sensitively expresses appreciation for her life and gratitude for the opportunity to improve others' lives. "I have done tracheotomies in the ICU, emergency bowel resections at 3 in the morning and leg amputations on those too young to be without," she writes. "As a surgical technologist, you are a part of an amazing system of saving lives and impacting those who are not always aware of your impact on their health and well-being."