Because she was fascinated with how muscles work in the human body as a kid, Kailey Harrison planned on a career as a physical therapist.
“Once I got to the hospital and was shadowing physical therapists, I thought, ‘Maybe I don’t want to do physical therapy anymore,’” she said.
Instead, Harrison worked as a phlebotomist, then at a pediatric clinic doing labs and X-rays before becoming a college recruiter.
“I knew I wanted to go back into healthcare, but I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do,” she said. “One of my fellow recruiters told me about Boise State. She said it’s all online, and you do your clinical hours where you live, which was very appealing.”
Harrison graduated from Boise State University’s online Bachelor of Science in Advanced Medical Imaging program in August 2025.
“I really enjoyed it because it allowed me to do the program on my own terms,” she said. “I could do whatever I needed to do for the day, then I could do schoolwork whenever I had time allocated. I liked that there were lectures online, as well.
“There were specific times for lectures, which I liked because I connected with the instructor, asked the questions over Zoom and got an answer right then and there. But it also offered flexibility. If I couldn’t watch the lecture at that specific time, it was always recorded. I could go back and watch it anytime. The flexibility was helpful with my schedule.”
While enrolled in the program, Harrison completed her clinical hours at St. Luke’s Medical Center in Jerome, Idaho, where she is now an ultrasound technician.
“I was a student when they hired me part-time,” she said. “Now, I am working with the people who helped me learn, which is nice. The medical imaging degree program definitely prepared me well.”
Fast learner
Harrison was born in Ogden, Utah, but she grew up in Jerome, where she still lives. She graduated with an associate degree from the College of Southern Idaho before she completed high school in 2018.
“I finished the degree two weeks before I graduated,” she said. “It was cool to walk because I was still in high school.”
While still planning to become a physical therapist, Harrison graduated with a bachelor’s degree in health science from Carroll College in 2020. She enrolled at Boise State in August 2024, so Harrison completed the degree in 12 months.
“Going back into healthcare was a great decision,” she said. “I love the job that I have now. Luckily, the program set me up very well for it.”
Especially because she was going into a new area of healthcare, Harrison enjoyed the online Bachelor of Science in Advanced Medical Imaging courses that applied most to her new field.
“I liked the scanning courses we had when we learned what we were looking at,” she said. “I was putting knowledge to what I was seeing in real life, and it made sense. We would scan a patient and I would say, ‘I just saw that yesterday. Now, we are learning about it in class.’”
Harrison sees return on her investment most every day of work when she applies what she learned at Boise State.
“With the health science degree, I didn’t feel like I had a job where I used my degree,” she said. “Now that I am working in ultrasound, I am using the knowledge from my Boise State degree every day at work. I am content career-wise right now.”
Deja vu
Harrison had plenty of encouragement from her family as she returned to school to earn her second bachelor’s degree.
“Luckily, I have a very supportive family,” she said. “My mom was all for it. She said, ‘If that’s what you want to do, let’s make it happen.’”
Walking at commencement was especially gratifying for Harrison because graduation for her first degree was via Zoom because of COVID-19.
“It was super fun to walk at Boise State,” she said. “I had a ton of people come and support me. The ceremony was really cool. It was a great environment.”
Harrison, who enjoys playing softball in her free time, appreciated the support from faculty, staff and her classmates throughout her time in the program.
“I don’t think I could have asked for more support from the instructors,” she said. “I have met some people through the online program. The way they have it set up, you get to know your classmates because you do a four-hour Zoom meeting to see the work they’re doing.
“It was cool making connections and getting real-time feedback from the pictures you’re taking. I met a lot of them at graduation. It was cool to put faces to names and talk in person. Word gets around when you’re a Boise State grad who needs a job.”
Now that she has a degree to launch her second foray into the healthcare field, Harrison is happy that she decided to return to school.
“It is a very hard program,” she said. “Out of everything I have done with education, it was the hardest program. You have to be willing to dedicate your time, but it does pay off in the end.
“I am in a career I never imagined I would be in, and I love it so much. I was very well-prepared to go into the field when I graduated. The degree has definitely opened up doors for me.”
Learn more about medical imaging programs at Boise State
Prepare to sit for national credentialing exams and take the next step in your career with Boise State Online’s medical imaging programs. Gain modality-specific training and develop a deep understanding of imaging sciences from experts in the field.
Are you an ARRT-certified technologist or equivalent? Contact us to learn how you can transfer up to 25 credits for passing your credentialing exam.