Courtesy Tae'Vionna Jones
- Tae'Vionna Jones, 20, spent a semester at college and decided it wasn't for her — for now.
- She worked as a phlebotomist, drawing blood in a clinic, after going through a training program.
- Jones is interested in psychology but for now plans to study hair care.
This is an as-told-to essay based on an interview with Tae'Vionna Jones, 20, who lives in Kansas City, Missouri. She recently worked as a phlebotomist, a person trained to draw blood. She tried college and decided it's not for her — yet — and plans to focus for now on another passion of hers: styling hair. The story has been edited for length and clarity.
My main reason for really choosing phlebotomy was because my grandma has leukemia and my sister passed from leukemia. So platelet donors — and blood donors period — just make me smile. Saving lives every day.