Katy Parsley

Sometimes the course of someone’s life can change with a single conversation.

Take the case of Katy Parsley. 

Katy was working in the Sage finance department where she met Mary Rea, Ph.D., professor of biology and director of Russell Sage College’s Post-Baccalaureate Pre-Medical Studies program.

They got to talking one day, and Katy confided to Professor Rea that she wished she’d pursued a career in the medical field. She’d kind of fallen into the world of business and finance because she seemed to have an aptitude for it, but it had never made her feel all that fulfilled.

Professor Rea talked to her about the Post-Baccalaureate program. How it might provide Katy a chance to go where she really wanted to be. 

The rest is history. Today, Katy is a critical care physician assistant at St. Peter’s Health Partners in Albany. 

“I really, really love what I do now,” she says. “It exceeds whatever it was that I thought feeling job satisfaction would feel like.”

She remains forever grateful to Professor Rea. Because Professor Rea didn’t just plant the seed that saw Katy achieve her dream career, she also played the role of mentor and guide.

“She is so happy for me,” Katy says. “And I’m so happy she followed along with me on every step of my journey.”

Katy feels twice blessed. For Professor Rea, of course. And also for the rigors of Sage’s Post-Baccalaureate program. Because she discovered that just because she’d found her true calling, just because she’d decided she wanted a career as a physician assistant, didn’t mean she was going to be accepted into physician assistant school.

“It’s extremely competitive,” she says. “When I was applying to Albany Med, there were 1,400 applicants for 42 seats.”

But she got one of those seats. 

“That speaks volumes to the preparation this program gives you,” Katy says. “It sets you up for success. It’s a difficult curriculum, but the professors make themselves completely available to you. The whole program is about how it can make you successful.”

Not to mention help you realize your dreams.