High school students get hands-on college experience with STCC Career Connections Academy

Daniel O'Neill, patient simulation information coordinator at STCC, talks to West Springfield High School students in STCC Career Connections Academy.

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – On weekdays, Arianna Hopkins attends classes as a sophomore at West Springfield High School, but every other Saturday this spring she and 15 other students get a hands-on, thrilling experience working with talking patient simulators at Springfield Technical Community College.

The West Springfield High School students are part of the STCC Career Connections Academy, a free state grant-funded program designed to expose high school students to high-demand industry options such as business administration, healthcare and social assistance to help them develop knowledge and skills related to their chosen field of study. This cohort was studying health care.

“I love it. I think that it’s really cool, especially the simulation lab,” said Arianna, a sophomore. “I think it’s cool that we get to have these kinds of hands-on experiences. We are getting a foot in the door and actual college experience.”

On a recent Saturday, Arianna – wearing maroon STCC Career Connections Academy scrubs like her fellow students – sat at a patient simulator’s side in a bay in the health science building at STCC. The area is part of the SIMS Medical Center, which uses patient simulation to bridge the gap between education and clinical practice.

Arianna had a talk with the patient, who told her about his dietary restrictions and other health-related issues. She learned personal details such as his religion. He said he is a Muslim. Patients are voiced by STCC staff who work from a control room with audio and video equipment.

The high school students are enrolled in the three-credit college level course Communication and Professionalism in Health Care, which places emphasis on learning to communicate effectively in the healthcare environment, complying with regulations and developing a professional presentation. They are part of Innovation Pathways at West Springfield High School, which exposes students to career options and allows them to complete college-level coursework before graduating from high school.

Wesley Carter, director of the Career Connections Academy, said the Communication and Professionalism class provides students in tenth grade an opportunity to survey the healthcare industry and learn from professionals and professors. Classes are taught by STCC professors in the School of Health and Patient Simulation.

“We want them to get as much information as possible before they make the decision about which area of health science they want to pursue,” Carter said. “It’s a great first course.”

After this spring, students will move to higher level courses including medical terminology and the hands-on lab safety course.

STCC’s Career Connections Academy started this spring with cohorts of students from West Springfield High School and Veritas Prep Charter School. West Springfield High and Veritas Prep students alternate Saturdays.

Dean of Academic Initiatives Matt Gravel said he was thrilled with the work Carter is doing through the partnership with West Springfield High School and Veritas Prep Charter School.

“Through this initiative, students gain invaluable hands-on experience, preparing them for the demands of the medical field,” he said. “We are excited to launch Career Connections Academy this spring and offer students an opportunity to earn college credits and get necessary experience. The SIMS Medical Center serves as the perfect backdrop for these experiences, providing a simulated healthcare environment where students can apply their knowledge in practical settings.”

Students in the Career Connections Academy will have the opportunity to earn approximately one-third of an associate's degree (or more) before graduating from high school. They will gain training opportunities that position them for jobs. In addition, they can get paid internships.

The SIMS Medical Center is a nationally recognized patient simulation facility that allows students studying health fields to train in an immersive environment. Patient simulators look, talk and express themselves like real people.

Daniel O’Neill, patient simulation information coordinator at STCC, told the West Springfield students health workers encounter patients from different backgrounds and cultures. The SIMS Center aims to reflect real-life encounters.

“The purpose isn’t necessarily for us to make it the most realistic,” O’Neill said. “The purpose of the simulation is to give you that practice of getting in and asking some of those questions so that you can have a better understanding of how to support that patient in their journey in health care.”

Director of Innovation Pathways at West Springfield High School Elizabeth Marsian-Boucher described the students’ enthusiasm as “outstanding.”

“Career Connections Academy has elevated the Dual Enrollment opportunities for our students,” she said. “Those in the ‘CCA’ take more than just general college requirements; they immerse themselves in coursework that aligns with their passion.”

High school student Charlie Daggett said he hopes to one day become a physician’s assistant. Career Connections Academy offers an ideal way to start on the pathway, he said.

“When I’ve been doing college tours, I’ve always been fascinated with the idea of working with simulators and practicing with them for patient care,” Charlie said. “When I saw that’s what we were doing here at STCC, I was thrilled to be a part of it.”

He was impressed with the life-like quality of the simulators. “It might as well be that I’m working with a real person,” he said. “It’s not just the person, but the bay and the hospital environment make it feel like a real situation.”

Student Arianna Hopkins said she may attend STCC after high school to pursue a nursing degree.

“I want to get my associate in nursing first, and I was thinking of going to STCC,” she said.

If she does enroll at STCC as a nursing student, she may get to go to college for free. In the fall of 2023, Massachusetts Department of Higher Education announced a Community College Nursing Scholarship Program to cover tuition, fees and books after other forms of financial aid have been exhausted.

For student Nahla Williams, who is considering a career in psychiatry, the experience at STCC has been illuminating and productive.

“I think it’s a valuable experience,” she said. “You have three hours on a Saturday morning to pack yourself with information.”

“Mr. Carter had introduced me to this program, and it was just a great opportunity to get your hands a little dirty and get into the field a little early,” Nahla said. “This is valuable, especially being a sophomore and just coming over here and seeing what the college experience was going to look like, especially in the healthcare area, which was super helpful.”

If businesses or organizations are looking to partner with STCC Career Connections Academy, contact Wesley Carter, director of the Career Connections Academy, at whcarter2301@stcc.edu.

Interested in applying to STCC? Visit stcc.edu/apply or call Admissions at (413) 755-3333.

About Springfield Technical Community College

STCC, the Commonwealth's only technical community college, continues the pioneering legacy of the Springfield Armory with comprehensive and technical education in manufacturing, STEM, healthcare, business, social services, and the liberal arts. STCC's highly regarded workforce, certificate, degree, and transfer programs are the most affordable in Springfield and provide unequaled opportunity for the vitality of Western Massachusetts. Founded in 1967, the college – a designated Hispanic Serving Institution – seeks to close achievement gaps among students who traditionally face societal barriers. STCC supports students as they transform their lives through intellectual, cultural, and economic engagement while becoming thoughtful, committed and socially responsible graduates.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Jim Danko, (413) 755-4812, jdanko@stcc.edu

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