Angelena Blount
Patient Account Representative
Jefferson University Physicians
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I graduated from Olney High School
in 2004. Now I
am a patient account representative with Jefferson University
Physicians. My responsibilities involve handling claim submissions and
denials, verifying eligibility, researching patient insurance coverage,
and calling insurance companies to follow up on outstanding
balances. Bridges
opened the doors for my career and gave me the tools to carry out my
job. Bridges trained me to enter the professional world right out of
high school. Angelena Blount Patient Account Representative Jefferson University Physicians |
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I am a graduate of John Bartram High
School and a member of the Bridges
class of 2002. I began at Dechert as a junior buyer.
I
learned how to do the buying for the information technology
department--keeping records of purchases, finding the best prices, and
ensuring that items arrive in a timely fashion. Over the past
few
years, my responsibilities have increased, and my current position as
international buyer is still evolving. I order desktops,
laptops,
servers, and monitors. A lot of
teenagers graduate from high
school without job training or the experience to succeed in an office
environment. Bridges helps bridge that gap. The
program
teaches essential computer skills and provides on-the-job training, as
well as support and guidance when interns encounter challenging
situations in the workplace. Anea Cobia International Buyer Dechert LLP |
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I am
a records clerk at Conrad O'Brien, where I began as a Bridges intern in
the summer of 2002. I assist attorneys by retrieving and returning
chronological, research, pleadings, billing, and other files that are
stored on- or off-site. I also open new matters and perform conflict of
interest checks. I work full-time, while attending the Community
College of Philadelphia part-time. I like my job and the
friendly
people at the firm. In Bridges I
learned how to express myself. I also learned that it is
important to respect coworkers and avoid drama in the workplace.
Finally, don't be a follower, and don't be afraid to take the road less
traveled. I am a 2003 graduate of Bridges and William
Penn High School. Timothy Gale Records Clerk Conrad O'Brien Gellman & Rohn, PC |
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Through Bridges, I learned not only how
to write, speak, and carry
myself professionally, but also that I can be or do whatever I set my
heart on. I
am a 2003 graduate of Bridges and John Bartram
High
School. When I joined Bridges, I was a word processor.
Currently, I am a full-time secretary to two subrogation and
workers compensation attorneys at Cozen O’Connor. I
prepare
correspondence and major court filings and set up meetings,
conferences, and depositions. I am
grateful for the opportunity that Bridges gave me. Thama DuFort Legal Secretary Cozen O’Connor Attorneys |
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I graduated from Bridges and Frankford
High School in 2004. I am
currently a records clerk at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, and I
attend Community College of Philadelphia
as a part-time student. Bridges has
been the best thing that ever
occurred in
my life. It gave me the opportunity to see and learn how to
work, dress,
and speak appropriately in a professional environment. As
time has passed, I realize that by applying
what I learned through Bridges, I have already achieved great respect
throughout
my firm. Since graduation, Bridges has remained a part of my life.
Everyone who was part of the
program cares
about me. If I had to
give one reason that
Bridges is important to me, I would say that it is not just a team of
friends,
it’s a family. Abraham Matos Records Clerk Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP |
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In
2003, I graduated from Horace Howard Furness High School and
the Bridges
Program.
I am now a
professional woman. Bridges gave me the
skills to work in a professional environment. As
an intern at Dechert, I got the chance to
work in several different departments.
The
fax department showed me how to talk to people over the phone and how
to send,
receive, and deliver faxes. Then,
I worked
in the personnel department, which helped me learn how to type
properly, schedule
meetings, and prepare the officewide "Daily
Bulletin." Personnel also taught me how to file and sort,
answer and transfer phone calls, and deal with people on a daily basis.
Next, I
worked in the records department. I
learned how to use LegalKEY and input file numbers into the system. I
also
learned how to file, store, and search electronically for client
folders.
Later, I worked as a floater secretary, moving
from desk to desk helping full-time
secretaries. I learned how to
draft and edit
letters and how to schedule appointments. Eventually, I found my
calling as a
receptionist. I work
directly with the
entire firm. My
work consists of
scheduling conference rooms, answering and transferring phone calls,
greeting
people, giving directions, and sending and receiving incoming right
faxes. I am proud of
the experience and skills I have
gained at Dechert and through the Bridges Program. Erin Ferrell Receptionist Dechert LLP |
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I am a 2005 graduate of
Bridges and
Olney High School. As a Bridges intern, I worked at Thomas Jefferson
University Hospital.
Now I work for Reliable as a member of the office support staff
at Lavin, O'Neil, Ricci,Cedrone & DiSipio. I run the
mailroom when the manager is out, and
I am in charge of court filings and office supplies. In Bridges, I
learned not only how to be a man, but how to be a reasonable adult and
how to work in all types of environments with all kinds of people. Tyrone Mebane Office Support Clerk Reliable |
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Bridges taught me how to be a
professional. I learned how to
handle work-related conflicts in a professional manner and how to
manage my time. The most useful thing I learned was how to
articulate. I graduated in 2003 from Horace
Howard Furness
High
School and Bridges. As an intern, I began as a file clerk in
the
intellectual property practice group at Dechert. I am
presently a
project assistant in the litigation department. I help
lawyers
prepare cases for trial, and I work with online programs such as
Introspect, Carpe Diem, LegalKEY, DOCS Open, and Verilaw. Sade Gary Project Assistant Dechert LLP |
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As a patient account representative at
Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, I perform insurance and
demographic updates, send faxes to doctors’ offices, prepare
correspondence, perform benefits and workers compensation projects, and
answer telephones. Previously, I was an admission representative. I learned a
lot in the Bridges Program. Bridges taught me how to think positively
and to maintain a good frame of mind in life. I also learned that if
there is an opportunity, take that chance and run with it. I
graduated from Jules E. Mastbaum Area Vocational Technical High School
in 2005. Maxine Harris Patient Account Representative Thomas Jefferson University Hospital |
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I graduated from Bridges and William
Penn High School in 2002. As an
intern, I started as a file clerk for the secretaries at Montgomery
McCracken, then transferred to the records department, where I continue
to work full-time for InOut Source. The firm keeps most of its files
off-site. I keep track of the off-site storage, using online
record-keeping systems. I send files into storage and pull them out
when
people need them. Bridges
gave me the opportunity to work at Montgomery
McCracken, and my job at the firm enabled me to pay my tuition
to
attend the Community College of Philadelphia part-time.
Having
earned
my associate’s degree in paralegal studies, I am now
attending
St. Joseph's University part-time. In the future, I want to
go
to law school. Quinnzel Robinson Records Clerk InOut Source LLC |
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In the summer of 2002, I became a
Bridges intern, beginning as a file
clerk at Duane Morris. Since graduating from Bridges and
William
Penn High School in 2003, I have been a full-time benefits assistant
at the firm. I prepare information for new employees, make
changes to employees’ benefits elections, and organize files.
When I was an intern, I attended classes to prepare me for
work. My
Bridges experience helped me overcome my shyness,
develop a lot more self-esteem, and secure a great job. Most
of
all, my experience has given me the opportunity to meet great people
and maintain wonderful working relationships. Sharifa Jones Benefits Assistant Duane Morris LLP |
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Having graduated from Bridges and John
Bartram High School in 2004, I
work as a hardware technician in the information services department at
Drinker Biddle & Reath, where I completed my internship. I
store
images on users’ computers, clean up spyware and viruses,
troubleshoot users’ hardware, repair printers, and replace
toners. Through
Bridges, I learned that little things you do at your
job add up, whether good or bad. Because of Bridges, immediately after
high school I got a great position that I thought would require a
college degree. Timothy Robinson Network Services Technician Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP |
| Through my Bridges
experience, I learned
how to speak clearly,
pronounce words correctly, create memos, and save Excel and Word
documents. Above all, I
learned never to give up on anything.
There is
nothing that you can't do as long as you put your mind to it. As an
intern at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, I had two positions. I
started
out in the records department, where I labeled folders, scanned files,
and assisted with anything else that needed to be done. I
transferred to the billing department, where I continued as a full-time
employee. I maintained and archived files, ran monthly
reports, printed and made copies of bills, labeled binders, and
performed other tasks. Now I have a new position. I
help process immigration-related documents for firm clients by
preparing drafts, sending them to attorneys and paralegals in the San
Francisco office, and completing the process when the materials are
returned. I
graduated from Bridges and Jules E. Mastbaum Area Vocational Technical
High
School in 2002.
I currently attend online university classes, working toward
a
certificate in paralegal studies. Misty Ann Kajuffa Billing Support Clerk Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP |
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I've learned what it takes to be
successful in a business setting. It takes a lot of hard work and
dedication, but if you are committed, then the end result will be a
positive one for you. I graduated from Bridges and John
Bartram High School in 2002. As a records clerk at Stradley Ronon, I
run conflicts of interest checks for potential new clients, and I
perform DTE and Equitrac maintenance. I also open and close matters,
open new files, serve as an information resource about clients and
matters, and search indexes in order to retrieve files from off-site
archives and the firm's various offices. I previously gained experience
working in Stradley's secretarial services, finance, and information
technology departments. Brandon Smith Records Clerk Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP |
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I graduated from Samuel S. Fels High School and Bridges in 2002. While I was an intern at Pepper Hamilton, I did clerical and secretarial work. After graduation, I became a floating secretary, filling in for secretaries who were out sick or on vacation. After about a year, I became a legal secretary. I am now in two job shares, reporting to two partners, one associate, and one senior legal assistant in the construction and tax and estates departments. In the Bridges program, I took speech, English, computer, and helpful hint classes, for instance, in phone etiquette. The most important thing I learned through my Bridges experience was professionalism, which is a must in the law firm environment. Dealing with clients on the phone and in person every day, I need to know how to present myself and how to handle situations in a professional manner. Maureen LougheryLegal Secretary Pepper Hamilton LLP |
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I
am a customer service representative for Oce Business
Services. I work at Dechert LLP, where I assist with mail,
reprographics, and supplies. I answer phones and prepare mail. I help
and meet new people every day. I graduated in 2003 from Bridges
and John Bartram High School. Bridges helped
me in many ways, especially with speaking before a group and one on one
to other people. My speaking improved through skits, talking
in
front of the class, and working with others in
Bridges. Bridges set me on a path in the right
direction, and
I hope that the program will continue to help many others in the same
way. Joseph Washklovitch Customer Service Representative Oce Business Services |
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A graduate of William Penn High School,
I successfully
completed the
Bridges program in 2002 and became a full-time assistant in
Dechert’s attorney recruitment department, where I had been
an
intern. Bridges equipped me for the business world and helped me
improve my communication and clerical skills. My responsibilities at
Dechert have included maintaining a record of fee agreements with legal
recruiters and temporary staffing agencies; generating correspondence
to candidates for summer, entry level, and lateral associate positions;
scanning applications; scheduling meetings and interviews; circulating
interview schedules; following up on interview comments; responding to
telephone inquiries; assisting with mass mailings; and performing
general secretarial tasks. The
importance of my work makes me feel
indispensable. Octavia Mahoney Recruitment Assistant Dechert LLP |
| I graduated from Bridges and Overbrook
High School in 2004. I was an
intern in the records department at Wolf Block, where I am now a
full-time file clerk. I am never bored. I always have a lot of work,
and I know what to do. In the future, I hope to transfer to another
department in the firm and attend the community college. Bridges gave
me guidance and a future. I learned how to dress, talk, and get along
with different types of people in the workplace. Semaj Wilmore File Clerk Wolf, Block, Schorr and Solis-Cohen LLP |
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I graduated from Bridges and
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I was in the first Bridges class. As an
intern at Dechert, I worked in
the mailroom, then in the personnel department as a file clerk. After
graduating from William Penn High School and Bridges in 1999, I became
a full-time personnel assistant. Now I am a project assistant, working
on mass tort litigation. I update binders, create case files, organize
documents, and assist attorneys and paralegals with trial preparation.
In Bridges, I learned a lot about professional speech and writing memos
and letters. I also learned about legal issues and terminology. Most
importantly, I learned that everyone makes mistakes when starting out,
but with experience and believing in yourself you will succeed at your
job. I have also learned that if you want to do something else within a
firm, you have to work hard and eventually you will get the position
you desire. I am in the position that I always wanted, drawing from the
experience I gained in the posts I held before. Denise Neris Project Assistant Dechert LLP |
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A graduate of Bridges and Roxborough High School, I am employed as a patient account representative in the central billing office at Jefferson University Physicians. My work entails applying insurance company payments to patients’ accounts, contacting insurance companies if additional information is needed to process a patient’s claim, and assisting coworkers in processing refunds. I strive to gain as much knowledge as possible in order to excel. The Bridges Program helped me strengthen the skills that I already had and to acquire new ones. I learned to be more professional, independent, responsible, and determined. Bridges opened the door to great new opportunities! Imani Powell |
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Bridges is a great opportunity to learn
what the real world has to offer. The Bridges people are there to help
100%. I
am a 1999 graduate of Roxborough High School. As an intern in
the first Bridges class, I rotated through three
departments at Dechert. My favorite was data communications.
After completing the Bridges program, I became a full-time
employee in that department, where I am now a technical product support
analyst. I support the firm’s BlackBerry devices,
cell phones, and video conferencing across 18 offices.
Although I am based in Philadelphia, my responsibilities sometimes
require travel. Working with other team members, I
set up computers, printers, BlackBerry devices, and video
conference systems when Dechert relocated or opened
new offices or trial preparation sites in Boston, New
York, Newport Beach, Paris, Philadelphia, and West Virginia. Sharon Peters Williams Technical Product Support Analyst Dechert LLP |