SKYCTC hosts Future Health Care Heroes Camp

WARREN COUNTY, Ky. – High schools from all over south-central Kentucky got the chance to visit Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College and get hands-on experience through the Future Health Care Heroes Camp.

Early exposure to health and nursing programs can create more confidence if it is something students are interested in.

Prisha Patel, a 10th grader at South Warren High School, says, “The medical field is really, really, really time-consuming and honestly really draining. So I think that if students understand a lot of it before they actually go into college, it would help them understand like what exactly they want to do and be more prepared for it.”

Amanda Page, associate professor at SKYCTC, tells us, “Having that hands-on experience, getting down in the nitty-gritty that helps you figure out if you are built for something like this.”

Programs like this healthcare camp help some students who may not know what they want to do, but for Patel, this is more than an introduction.

Patel also shares, “Throughout my life, I’ve looked at health care, but I didn’t really think about it too deeply because I was more interested in the law fields. And two and a half years ago, my mom passed away with ALS, and that caused my drive of being a doctor to go full forward. And now I’m doing as much as I can to fulfill that dream.”

Being an advocate for and honoring her mother’s final wish of becoming a doctor now feels more attainable than ever, thanks to the meaningful steps she’s taking and the new insights she’s gaining along the way.

Page tells us, “I just like seeing the light bulb go off in the students’ heads. Knowing that I am making a difference in their lives, which is going to make a difference in our community.”

The information and new knowledge gained about the medical field doesn’t just benefit current students today—it also equips them with the understanding and skills, they will carry with them into the future.

Patel says, “It feels really great because I know I’ve seen it firsthand. Everything that my mom went through. And honestly, it just feels great to know that I’m actually making an impact in other people’s lives. I’m going to be a great part of the health care field in a few years”