Students from area school districts gathered at the HFM BOCES Career and Technical Center recently to converse and connect with local professionals about the many healthcare careers the region has to offer.
The event, dubbed as ‘Healthcare Conversations’, welcomed more than 100 ninth and 10th-grade students from the Hamilton-Fulton-Montgomery BOCES region, as well as juniors who are currently enrolled in an HFM Career and Technical Education (CTE) healthcare program.
The morning-long affair was a joint effort hosted by HFM CTE and the Fulton Montgomery Regional Chamber of Commerce. It was part of the ‘Career Support Series’ of events aimed at providing meaningful and robust career exploration opportunities to the students of the HFM BOCES region.
According to Nicole Walrath-VanAlstyne, Director of Workforce Development for the Chamber, the event was a great way to make students aware of the various healthcare careers in the area.
“This event was an excellent opportunity for students to dive into the many healthcare careers our region has to offer” said Walrath-VanAlstyne. “Students were able to explore career options, gain early insight, build connections and understand the impact healthcare professionals have, while making a difference in people’s lives.”
The event began with a panel discussion featuring a dozen healthcare professionals and covered a variety of fields, including athletic training, physical therapy, radiologic technology, behavioral health, nursing, speech-language pathology, nursing administration, respiratory care and more. HFM CTE Principal Michael DiMezza moderated.
Following the panel discussion, students were able to gain deeper insight into various careers as they participated in multiple roundtable discussions. These discussions not only included the panelists, but additional healthcare professionals from within the region. Nearly 40 professionals in total were on hand to share their opinions and expertise.
“The best part of the morning was witnessing over 100 students engaging with healthcare panelists and participants,” said HFM CTE Administrative Coordinator Kristina Marshall. “It’s crucial for students to broaden their career awareness.”
HFM CTE Medical Assisting student Angela Lenz said she really enjoyed the day.
“I feel like I learned a lot. Being able to interact with a wide range of healthcare providers helped me think more about what I may want to do in the future,” said the Amsterdam High School junior.
Jordynn Gomez, a junior from Fort Plain, said she also thoroughly enjoyed the first ever Healthcare Conversations.
“I’d like to become a pediatric oncology nurse someday, so being able to connect with nurses and learn what they have to go through was really good for everybody,” said the Medical Assisting student.
The next ‘Career Support Series’ occurrence will be a ‘Women in the Workforce’ event scheduled for March at the HFM Career and Technical Center.
