Alondra Lara-Zavala, RDMS, RVT

Diagnostic Medical Sonography

Alondra Lara-Zavala is a 2021 graduate of Delaware Technical Community College's diagnostic medical sonography program. Prior to attending Delaware Tech, she worked at a hair salon & spa. One day she made a spontaneous decision to quit her job at the salon and enroll at Delaware Tech. "It was the best decision I ever made," she said.

Prior to enrolling, several people in Lara-Zavala's life had told her about how accessible Delaware Tech is, both in the enrollment process and affordability. The College’s convenient locations and the ability to get financial help when she needed it by consulting Delaware Tech faculty and staff members helped her to be successful during her college career. "The Stand By Me program helped a lot, from filling out my FAFSA to filing my taxes," she said.

Lara-Zavala said she loves people and the idea of helping people is what drew her to enrolling at the College. "In the cosmetology field, I could only help someone with their hair," she said. "I wanted a career in which I could help people with more than just the superficial aspect; I wanted to make a difference in people's lives."

The diagnostic medical sonography program was appealing to her because of the, "important role a sonographer plays in helping diagnose a patient. As a sonographer, you are the radiologist’s eyes. If the sonographer misses something in a scan, the radiologist won't see it."

Lara-Zavala reflected on the countless late nights of studying while pursuing her degree from Delaware Tech. "Some of the material was really hard, which definitely prepared me for this field," she said. "The instructors who taught me for two years definitely pushed me and all my classmates to be the best students we could be, taking each day we were in clinicals as if it were a job interview, and prepping us above and beyond to take our board exams."

Since graduating from Delaware Tech, she has been working at ChristianaCare as a sonographer, performing all types of ultrasound studies, participating in procedures, and gaining experience in the field.