A group of 33 Dixie Hollins High School 11th and 12th graders visited SPC’s Health Education Center on April 14 to discuss careers and health programs offered at St. Petersburg College. The students were part of the Advancement Via Individual Determination program (AVID), a college readiness program targeting students who have the desire and determination to go to college.
During the two-hour campus visit, students and SPC advisors discussed:
- The importance of early career decisions
- Career assessment tools
- Health care occupations and career outlooks
- SPC health program options
- Preparation through networking, community involvement, volunteering, clubs, dual credit opportunities, creating resumes and cleaning up social media accounts
The visit culminated with a tour of the Dental Hygiene clinic, the Nursing program’s Simulation Center for Excellence in Nursing Education (S.C.E.N.E), and open labs in the Physical Therapy Assistant and Orthotics and Prosthetics programs.
Students were surveyed before and after the event and had very positive responses. Those who said they were planning to attend SPC after graduation rose from 18 to 21. All participants said they learned something new about career planning or career assessments. Comments showed that students would be interested in longer tours and also learning about SPC bachelor’s degree programs.
This event was coordinated by Career Navigator Larissa Brown-Jones, Student Support Coordinator Dawn Janusz and Disability Resource Specialist Stefanie Silvers as part of a capstone project for their Career Development Facilitator (CDF) certification training. Building upon the success of this visit, they hope to create increased and lasting partnerships through similar events with local high schools.
