Students explore careers at VGCC Health Sciences “boot camp”
Local middle school students received insights into possible career opportunities when they participated in the first-ever Vance-Granville Community College Health Sciences Boot Camp over four days, June 11-14. A total of 23 campers from Vance County middle schools learned about the important roles of various health-care professionals, including nurses and radiologic technologists, and about what it takes to succeed in those professions. The camp was supported by a grant worth $8,260 from the N.C. Community College System. The focus of the grant was on providing career awareness activities and classroom simulation to attract a diverse population, including disadvantaged students, to Health Sciences programs. Faculty members from VGCC’s Associate Degree Nursing , Practical Nursing and Radiography programs conducted the camp, with assistance from volunteer Katelyn Johnson of Henderson, a student at the N.C. School of Science and Mathematics. Welcoming campers to the college on June 11, VGCC President Dr. Stelfanie Williams said she hoped that the camp would inspire students to work hard in school so that someday they might serve in a health-care profession. “You are the first class of what we hope are many more boot camps,” Williams told them. “I hope you will tell your friends about it and inspire others who come after you. I also hope to see you back here in a few years as college students!”
The middle school students spent one day each in hands-on learning sessions with Nursing instructors at VGCC’s high-tech simulation lab at Maria Parham Medical Center, and with Radiography instructors at that program’s lab, located at the college’s South Campus in Creedmoor.
On the final day, the students were divided into teams and faced off in a quiz bowl to test the knowledge they had gained throughout the camp. The winning team included Ja’Quashia Steed, April Zuniga-Trejo, Tia Evans, Nyesha Miller, Chaquella Mason and Angel White, all of Henderson. Also that day, students presented essays they had written on their career aspirations. VGCC Nursing director Erica Jastrow emphasized to campers that the essay was valuable training in itself, since health-care professionals must be effective communicators on a daily basis. Winning first place in the essay contest was Rebecca Short of Henderson. “I have always admired and appreciated the compassion, calmness and professionalism of a nurse,” Short said, but she added that she thought “I could never be a suitable candidate because I cringe at the sight of blood….I now know that nursing can be fun if you allow it to be. If you take deep breaths and have the attitude of ‘I can do this,’ you should have no problem.” The runner-up, Amber Cousin of Henderson, also said that the boot camp had led her to conclude that she was interested in pursuing a career in nursing. She wrote that she would like “to work with people and help others with their problems” as a psychiatric nurse. Second runner-up Alyssa Champion of Henderson wrote, “at the beginning of this boot camp, I thought that maybe it would be a cool experience, but I never thought that I would honestly want to pursue a career in the health field.” Now, she said she could see herself “loving” being a radiographer. Two other awards were presented, one for “Best Teamwork” to Nyesha Miller of Henderson and the other for “Best Professionalism” to Amber Cousin.
Above: Students who completed the inaugural VGCC Health Sciences Boot Camp included, front row, from left: Julissa Isidro, Tia Evans, Miller Bartholomew, Rebecca Short, Ja’Quashia Steed, and Angel White; second row, from left: Dominique Anderson, Annika Alcardi, Tyeshia Jones, Chattia Evans, Chaquella Mason and Kiymani Grant; third row, from left: April Zuniga-Trejo, Nyesha Miller, Kaliyah Tunstall, Alyssa Champion, and Sterling Bullock; and fourth row, from left: Seion Bobbitt, Amber Cousin, Jacquilyn Miller, Cannan Dale and William Jones. Not pictured: student Jessica Roberson. On the top row, from left, are VGCC Nursing instructor Anna Seaman, Radiography instructor Estelle Alston, Radiography program head Angela Thomas and Nursing director Erica Jastrow. (VGCC photo)
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