BASTL opens door to new career opportunity

Five years ago, Esteffani Alcantra was living in the Bronx and was a patient outreach manager for a hospital system. She oversaw a team of 12, but the single mother knew that without a degree, chances of advancement were slim.

To give herself more time for school, five years ago Alcantra and her daughter, Amber, moved to Reading to live with Alcantra’s stepfather. She initially took a less demanding secretarial job and began working on a liberal arts associate degree from Reading Area Community College.

“I started working at the hospital at 19 and received three promotions, but when I asked for either another promotion or more money, I was told you hit a dead end because I didn’t have a degree,’’ said Alcantra, 30, who earned her associate degree in 2015 and her Bachelor of Applied Science in Technical Leadership (BASTL) from Bloomsburg University in May 2017.

Alcantra, who now works as a customer service representative for a plastics manufacturer, said she was attracted to the BASTL program for its flexibility – classes were online or at her community college – and the wide range of topics covered. At her current job, she’s used the practical skills such as web design and virtual tools to communicate with coworkers and clients in distant locations, as well as leadership training to help her resolve conflicts and better communicate with those at various levels in the company.

“The degree makes you a well-rounded leader because you get into accounting and management and other technical skills as well as intrapersonal skills and cultural diversity that you experience everywhere,’’ Alcantra said. “As a single mother of one and a full-time employee, the ability to take online courses and satisfy the Bloomsburg curriculum at RACC was definitely a determining factor.’’

In the future, Alcantra said she wants to pursue a master’s in instructional technology and eventually move into a position where she is involved in training and development. In addition to being important to accomplish her career goals, she said advancing her education was something she needed to do for her daughter.

“I want my daughter to take after me and I have to lead the way,’’ she said. “As a parent and as a leader, you can’t just tell others what they need to do, you have to model the behavior you want others to show.’’