“Be the best version of yourself that you can be. You’ll make mistakes and that’s okay. Just learn from them.” This was a statement from Anna DeSantis, alumni from Health Occupations (yes, one of the original members of ‘Cairns Crew’), a graduate of Center High School, CCBC, and RMU.
Anna, enrolled in Health Occupations in high school due to her interest in wanting to become a medical professional, more specifically, a flight nurse. And surprisingly enough, the CTC was not her first option. Anna’s mother felt it was an appropriate path as she was a graduate of career and tech ed herself. She knew that the program would give Anna enough information and experience that it would enable her to know if being a nurse, was in fact, what she wanted to do and it was.
Although Anna discovered through college clinicals college clinicals that she changed her mind about becoming a flight nurse, she explained to the students that the basis of her career came from Health Occupations in helping her to develop professionalism, empathy, critical thinking and making informed decisions. She learned to follow safety procedures, be a team player and develop self-awareness. She also commented that it was the start of a really awesome career. Currently, she is an ER Nurse in Georgia.
In closing, Anna commented, “Embrace your role as a student here. This sticks with you and it’s the most humble part of the medical field. All the team building skills learned here will be applied in a work team at whatever medical facility you find. Don’t ever forget where you started and remember to always be the patient’s advocate.”
Anna, thank you for your insight and valuable advice! Ms. Cairns, Ms. Izz, and the students enjoyed listening to your health care journey and appreciate the time you were able to spend with them. Thank you!