Crossroads: X-ray technician

Herman Rivera,57, of Brentwood. Stony Brook University Medical Center

Why did you go into this field?

I volunteered in the hospital when I was 16. Watching others go to X-ray school, I decided to go. It's a job you can learn in New York but have a job anywhere in the country or the world."

What would you say to someone considering this career?

It's an art. You take pride in what you do and try to get the best image for that patient.