KHS students participate in Higher Education Day
On Tuesday students at Kellogg High School were treated to presentations from several local medical professionals, a representative from the Pathways in Technology Early College High School (PTECH )program, as well as representatives from several of the local state colleges for Higher Education Day.
Local doctors, dentists, optometrists, nurses, physical therapists and other behind the scenes medical professionals each had a chance to address the student body before the students were able to walk through a row of stations to talk to the professionals who piqued their interest.
Kellogg High School counselor Heather Johnson was pleased with the response from the students and talked about how days like this are important.
“These days are important because it gives students an opportunity to learn about colleges in our state (Higher Education Day), and programs (such as PTECH) that help them plan early to attend to college and potentially receive scholarship money to enroll in specific programs at the college level,” Johnson said. “They also learn about in-demand employment opportunities and what it takes to obtain employment (degrees and internship required). These employment options include areas such as Information Technology, Nursing, and Business Administration. Shoshone Medical Center also gives our students an opportunity to job shadow in all aspects of employment.”
For the students, Johnson believes that days like this are important because it gives the students a chance to hear about colleges, careers, and other post-high school opportunities from someone who isn’t their parent or counselor.
“Students are receptive to learning this information because they realize they don't have many opportunities to get this information directly from those in the employment or college positions they are considering pursuing” Johnson stated. “It is one thing to talk to a counselor such as myself and quite another to talk to someone in the field who can answer all their questions directly.”
Specifically regarding the medical field, Johnson sees the benefit of the medical professionals coming due to a large portion of recent Kellogg graduates pursuing jobs in the medical industry.
“We have a good portion of our students the last few years who have enrolled in college to pursue a degree in the medical field,” Johnson said. “The KHS Counseling Center has assisted students in applying for degrees ranging from Health Information Technology to Pre-Medical Related fields.”
The medical professionals will be visiting Wallace High School later this week.