Julie Zemplinski’s desire to find a cure for cancer led her to her healthcare calling. She entered the clinical laboratory science field and specialized in microbiology, virology and mycology in hospital and research settings for more than 20 years.

As she progressed in that profession, she noticed that she enjoyed teaching the college students who interned in her department. Outside of the classroom, much of the learning in the healthcare field is handed down from practitioners to students in hospital and research settings, with the researchers taking the role of clinical instructors and mentoring the next generation of students.

While working in that capacity in Wisconsin, she heard of a new college starting up in Fort Myers that would be offering courses in clinical laboratory science and it just seemed like the perfect opportunity — new school, new facilities and a chance to help shape a new program. She moved to Florida, got a job at Lee Health and waited until 2000 for a position to open up at FGCU.

Julie’s career move has proven a good one for her. She enjoys working with students and gets great satisfaction from hearing them say they helped save a life. Her work environment is collegial. The clinical laboratory science program is innovative, with theory classes taught online and the most robust internship program in the state. And the healthcare community is extremely enthusiastic about the program and can’t hire graduates fast enough to fill the need.

“It’s a top-notch program. Because of the economy in the region, the hospitals tend to get the latest equipment for students to train on. And the local population offers interesting variety in cases to study. The training ground is unmatched.”

“With a 100% graduate employment rate, most of our students are hired locally and most tend to stay in the region. I’m very proud to be part of all that.”