One of the major CTE, Career and Technical Education, classes that is offered through Mid Michigan College, is Health Occupations, or Health OC.
The students at St. Louis High School visit Alma High School either during the morning or afternoon, to attend their CTE class. This class is through Mid Michigan College. St. Louis High School has seven students currently enrolled in the Health OC class.
This class is popular because it gives high school students the opportunity to become a Certified Nursing Assistant in their first year in the class and a Medical Assistant in their second year. Having a CNA license allows students to work in residential care or hospital settings. This is beneficial to high school students because it allows them to get better paying jobs than most students.
Another benefit of Health OC is all the experience the participants are able to obtain. Students obtain this experience by doing clinicals in Gratiot County, like clinics at elementary schools for example. They also get to work on the OB floor and pediatrics. All this experience gives the students a valuable insight on the healthcare field. It might also lead them to better career opportunities.
The class is obviously very beneficial to the students who participate in it. But both of these certifications are very well deserved by the participants, as they have to take a lot of initiative in their learning. Aeralyn Leonard, a senior who is currently enrolled in her second year of the class, states that, “If you don’t study, you are not passing your classes. That’s for both classes.” Aaliyah Velazco, a junior in the first year class, agrees that, “If you study and know your stuff, you’ll be fine, but if you don’t? Then you won’t make the cut.”
Leonard is a very good example of how beneficial the class can be for students. Having already finished her first year, she is now a CNA with which she is able to work at Schnepps, a local senior care and rehab center. As a second year student she gives the insight of, “We [the second years] get more clinicals than the first years.” She further adds that, “We also have way more work than the first year.”
Emalee Acre, another junior who is enrolled in the first year of Health OC, says she, “Joined [the class] so I could get an intro to nursing.” An introduction to nursing will be beneficial to Acre as she hopes to pursue a career in the medical field, working in the NICU.
Velazco, says that the class will, “Put me on the right path to become an occupational therapist.” That is a good example of this CTE class giving students a certain “boost” in the healthcare field. “It [the class] is a good environment,” she adds.
The Health OC classes are definitely helpful to students interested in the healthcare field. As the classes provide not only certain certifications but also lots of hands-on experience that will give the participants a better insight in the healthcare field.
