BATAVIA, N.Y. (WKBW) — On Monday more than 650 students, grades 8-12, from 31 schools across Genesee, Livingston, Orleans and Wyoming counties attended "GLOW With Your Hands: Healthcare" at Genesee Community College. GLOW is an acronym for all four counties.
The hands-on event allowed students to interact and network with local first responders to start laying the groundwork for careers in health care.
"Kids are connecting with 240 employer representatives to learn about incredible careers in health care in our rural counties," explained Angela Grouse, Director of Education to Employment at the Livingston County Area Chamber of Commerce.
Grouse was the co-chair of the event.
"We really appreciate the need, especially post-pandemic, for health care providers in our region, especially in rural communities," said Grouse. "So this gives them a chance to realize, 'Hey, what really is that job? Try some things hands-on and see if, 'Hey, you know, maybe this career looks good on me.'"
"I want to be an orthopedic doctor." - Sophia Picardo, 10th grader at Kendall Junior/Senior High
"It's been a great experience for our school, especially since we don't get to do a lot since we're farther out," said Picardo. "So I think learning about different careers and taking what we learned from the classroom and a real-life perspective really helps us know what we want to do."
"I want to be an ultrasound tech" - Mady Ross, 9th grader at Caledonia-Mumford High School
"It gives opportunities for our school to get out and experience things to find out more things about what I can do," said Ross.
"I want to be a physical therapist" - Devin Brown, 9th grader at Caledonia-Mumford High School
"I want to become a therapist, whether it's music therapy or it's physical therapy, mostly physical therapy because I want to connect to my sports," said Brown. "I went to a mental health class [today] that was music therapy. It was really including of all students."
"I want to join the military." - Tegan Shaw, 9th grader at Kendall Junior/Senior High
"Super helpful to get to like learn new things," said Shaw. "I liked when we got to go around to all the different tables and explore all the different colleges."
"I want to become an MP within pediatric," - Zayda Kemnitz, 12th grader at Caledonia-Mumford
"I got to talk one-on-one with somebody that was in my class, who is an MP and she told me like her whole entire process of going to college first for biology," explained Kemnitz.
Along with hands-on interactive demonstrations in the gym, students also got to engage in workshops in fields including dentistry, nursing, hospice care, EMS, physical therapy, respiratory therapy, vet techs, surgery, speech pathology, occupational therapy, radiology and more.
Staff in attendance were from all across the region including local offices of emergency management, sheriff's offices, universities, Mercy Flight, U of R, Rochester Regional Health, Cornell Cooperative Extension, BOCES and more.
