2025 PSD Health Science: Natalia Mindru
Diagnostic Medical Sonography student Natalia always wanted to enter the medical field. As a child in Moldova, she grew up listening to the stories her physician father would tell about his work. This fascinated Natalia, and captivated her long after she married and moved to the United States to begin a family.
She raised two daughters, homeschooling them and putting her own education on hold. When the pandemic lockdown occurred, she saw an opportunity in newly available remote learning modalities. After some research, she decided to pursue sonography. The distance learning model allowed her to continue caring for her children while pursuing her medical career dreams.
Natalia was still involved on campus, in groups such as the Muslim Student Association and in DMS program activities like field trips to UCI’s labs. She credits Cypress with offering a network of assistance to its scholars, which provided her with the chance to graduate with her associate degree and enter the job field as a sonographer.
“Cypress College offers a lot of support to its students! They also have many scholarship opportunities that help students in a variety of fields. The free meals at the cafeteria were helpful in the post-pandemic period.”
Please tell us about yourself. Where did you grow up? What are your interests? What is your story?
I am an ultrasound student, as well as a wife, and proud mother of two incredible daughters. I grew up in Moldova, a small and charming country in eastern Europe. My father is a doctor in our city, and my earliest memories are of him discussing medical topics with me, and introducing me to some of his patients. Our home library consisted predominantly of medical books, which only deepened my interest in the medical field. While I initially began my educational journey in medicine in Europe, I set my dream aside when I got married and moved to the United States.
For over a decade, I devoted my time to my family, including homeschooling my two children. While I put my career aspirations on hold during that time, the urge to join the medical field never left me, and I knew it would only be a matter of time before I went back. When the pandemic began, I saw an opportunity, and I jumped at it. I began researching different paths, and found sonography to be the most suited for me to both help patients, and to play a vital role in a medical care team. I instantly knew that I had found my path, and eagerly embarked on the journey to become a sonographer.
Attending college remotely allowed me to pursue my dream while taking care of my family. As my daughters have gotten older, they have become a bigger driving force for me to show them that you can have both: a career you love, and a close connection with your family.
What are you most passionate about? Why?
Two of my biggest passions are helping people and finding answers. I pride myself on being a good listener to my patients, and making a positive impact in even the short moments when they are in my care. Being the daughter of a doctor made me enjoy researching and finding answers for medical issues.
Why did you choose Cypress College?
Cypress College has an excellent ultrasound program that is CAAHEP accredited, and is well-known in the community as a high-achieving program. This made it my first choice, and I was so grateful to have been accepted.
What have you been involved in at Cypress College? How has your path unfolded?
During my first year, I was grateful to be a part of the Muslim Student Association. Cypress College is full of diversity; it is wonderful to see people supporting one another.
Share a memorable event or experience while you’ve been a Cypress College student.
I had a very memorable field trip with my fellow classmates and our clinical director Nancy, to the cadaver lab at UCI. While it is one thing to explore and learn about organs on ultrasound machines and in books, it was a very different experience to see and touch these organs up close. This further deepened my understanding of sonography and the pathology we see every day.
Who are the faculty and staff (in your major, an academic or other support program, etc.) who have helped you get where you are today?
I would like to sincerely thank Nancy Corrales, our program director, for her support and encouragement throughout my time here. Her leadership and care have truly shaped the spirit of this program – making it not only academically enriching but also personally meaningful. I am especially grateful for the respect she has shown towards my faith; her thoughtfulness created a space where I felt comfortable being myself.
I would also like to extend my heartfelt thanks to Julie Hollinghurst, our teacher and clinical coordinator. Her dedication to teaching and her willingness to share insights from her many years of ultrasound experience have been incredibly impactful.
How has Cypress College supported you throughout your time at the college?
Cypress College offers a lot of support to its students! I benefited tremendously from the Charger Book pass program, that gives students the opportunity to purchase their books at a lower cost. They also have many scholarship opportunities that help students in a variety of fields. The free meals at the cafeteria were helpful in the post-pandemic period.
What are your immediate plans after completing your studies at Cypress College (at your transfer institution, in the workforce, etc.)?
I am excited to start working as an ultrasound tech, and putting all my knowledge and experience to work. I am also planning a trip to Europe, and am very excited to see my parents again after six years of being apart.
What are your long-term goals? What do you aspire to?
My long-term goal is to become the best ultrasound tech that I can be! While these two years have been an incredible journey, I am looking forward to years of experience and becoming even more knowledgeable in this field. I would also love to help new students who are entering the field, as I know how daunting the experience can be. And perhaps one day, even become a teacher of sonography.
What are you most proud of?
While I know I put in all the work, I am most proud of my two daughters. They understood the importance of my academic journey, and never complained about my long work hours, or my days and nights spent studying. They sacrificed a lot for my dream, and I plan to be just as supportive when it’s their turn to pursue their career path.
What bit of advice would you give to current and future Cypress College students?
My advice to the future students is to embrace the difficulties and to welcome them! Learning something new can be difficult and require perseverance, but it is worth putting in the effort, because in the end, we only emerge stronger within ourselves and with greater goals to pursue.
Is there anyone in particular you’d like to thank?
I would like to thank my incredibly supportive family and friends. A special thank you to my sister-in-law, Shahnila Ahmad, who lovingly took my girls under her wing for the past two years; and to my amazing friend, Ladan Rashidi, for being a constant source of encouragement and strength throughout this journey.
I’m also deeply grateful to the sonographers at Kaiser Anaheim Hospital for their compassion and mentorship. To my clinical partner, Nicole Briscoe – thank you for making this journey full of laughter. And once again, to Nancy Corrales – she is a big part of why I succeeded in completing this program.