Alumna Discovers her Career Path at St. John’s University
When Laura Nappi Laskorski ’13P arrived on the Queens, NY, campus of St. John’s University in 2009, she was unclear about which degree to pursue.
“I highly recommend St. John’s to prospective students,” Ms. Laskorski said. “They will receive a great education and have many opportunities to help strengthen their résumé to prepare them for their future professional careers,” she said. “They will also have fun!”
“I chose St. John’s for my undergraduate degree because of the wide variety of majors that are available to students,” Ms. Laskorski said. However it did not take long for her to find her career path; in 2013, she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Radiologic Sciences from the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (CPHS).
“The Radiologic Sciences program was very in depth and thoroughly prepared me for a career in diagnostic radiography,” said Ms. Laskorski, who today is Lead Radiation Therapist at the satellite facility of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in Montvale, NJ. “I became a hard-working student, which was then reflected in my career.”
Other components factored heavily in her selection of the University. “When I toured the campus, I felt at home and I liked the culture and community,” recalled Ms. Laskorski, a resident of Park Ridge, N.J. She later discovered that “living on campus helped me to grow as a person and helped shape who I am today. I learned a lot didactically, as well as about life in general.”
Ms. Laskorski also learned from her mentor, Jennifer G. Chiu, Ed.D., M.B.A., RT(R)(CT) ’06SVC, Associate Professor/Industry Professional, Department of Health Professions; Program Director, Radiologic Sciences; and Executive Director, Assessment, at CPHS.
“Dr. Chiu was an amazing influence on me. She was once in my shoes as a student in the same program,” Ms. Laskorski said. “I looked up to her and saw how she advanced from being a student to a technologist, professor, and program director. I admire her determination and hard work. She is also a wonderful person and friend who could relate to us and help us all through our journey.”
Ms. Laskorski is involved in professional organizations and committees on education as she aims to enhance the field of radiologic sciences, and she serves as secretary of the Radiation Therapy Association of New York State. She is the author of the Comprehensive Review Guide for the Radiation Therapy Examination and the Radiation Therapy Calculations Manual.
In October, Ms. Laskorski was the keynote speaker for the College’s Radiologic Sciences White Coat Ceremony. As an adjunct instructor in the Radiologic Sciences program at St. John’s, she taught Radiographic Anatomy and Procedures II while converting the class to an interactive, asynchronous, online format during the pandemic. In addition, Ms. Laskorski is a mentor in the College’s Alumni Mentoring Program.
“I highly recommend St. John’s to prospective students,” Ms. Laskorski said. “They will receive a great education and have many opportunities to help strengthen their résumé to prepare them for their future professional careers,” she said. “They will also have fun!”
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