August 3, 2020

Christian Romero postbac ’17 has always been interested in ADHD, both from a personal and research-based perspective.

“I feel like ADHD research and management is a growing area—there is a lot to do there,” said Romero. 

For Romero, the question has never been which field of study to pursue, but simply which career is best suited for him to put his interests into practice. 

As an undergraduate student at Vassar College, Romero studied Psychology with a particular focus on ADHD and related developmental disorders. After graduating in 2014, he initially pursued a clinical path, including interning for a developmental pediatrician who specialized in ADHD. 

The career sparked his interest, even though “it required about a dozen more years of school, including the postbac process.” 

Romero decided to throw himself into the medical field, with the goal of later attaining a specialty in behavioral medicine.  

“I know it is somewhat rare for someone to be determined in one direction going into medical studies because a lot of people change their minds about what kind of speciality they want to pursue,” said Romero. “But I had a laser-focused goal.”

Romero enrolled in Bennington’s Postbac Premedical Program, which he chose for its affordable one-year structure and discussion-based courses that reminded him of his undergraduate experience at Vassar.  

Over the program’s winter Field Work Term, he worked as an EMT with the Bennington Rescue Squad, a position that he continued throughout his time at Bennington and for nearly a year and a half afterward.

Working as an EMT allowed Romero to gauge his comfortability with pursuing physical medicine after graduating from the Postbac program. Ultimately, he decided a medical school track was not right for him. 

Upon returning home to Florida, he explored his options, eventually deciding to work as a Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) and pursue ADHD coach training, which allows him the flexibility of building a portfolio of his own clients.

Though Romero ultimately chose a different career path than those of his medical school-bound peers, he still considers his time spent at Bennington formative. 

“I loved the Postbac program,” said Romero. “The best endorsement I can give is that, even though I decided against pursuing medicine, I have zero regrets of doing the program. It was an amazing experience, and I learned a lot about myself.”

Romero values the connections he made at Bennington, from the friendships he formed while living on campus with his cohort in Longmeadow, to the “flexible and understanding” faculty members, and—especially—the bonds he formed with people both on campus and off.   

“The students at Bennington were interesting and awesome people whom I got to know well. I was also involved with campus activities, even though I wasn’t an undergrad,” said Romero. “I made music, I was on their soccer and ultimate frisbee teams, and attended countless art shows, plays, and concerts.”    

In addition to working as an EMT after graduating from the program, Romero also worked at The Tap House at Catamount Glass in the town of Bennington. Between his academic endeavors and post-graduation employment, life in Bennington became “a great fit for me socially.”

“I liked living in Bennington more than I’ve liked living anywhere else,” said Romero. “I had a certain social awareness of the area, and I saw people I knew around town a lot. That was something I hadn’t experienced before, growing up in suburban Florida. I liked the small-town vibe and the genial quality that people in Bennington generally have.”

Plus, the lush seasons, mountain views, and abundant outdoor opportunities made Bennington “a beautiful, gorgeous” place to live.  

“I still have a storage unit up in Bennington, actually,” said Romero. “I’m hoping to come back to the region in the future. I hope that’s in the cards for me.”

By Natalie Redmond, Associate Writer