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Page A—1 0 - Shelton-Mason County Journal - Thursday, March 5, 2020
Shelton High School students — from left, John Jones, Myalyn Meza, Shawna
Lacy, Morgan Holling and Gideon Combs — are dissecting animal parts
in their body systems class at Shelton High School. All five are taking
classes through the Shelton School District’s Health Sciences Academy,
and all say they plan on careers in the medical field. Journal photo by
Gordon Weeks .
Creating pathways to good local careers
‘ Three more district academies open next fall
By Gordon Weeks
gordon@masoncounty. com
Shelton High School sophomore
Shawna Lacy is allergic to bees, ha-
zelnuts, latex and coldness. She’s
interested in helping others who are
dealing with their allergies. .
So when Lacy heard a presenta-
tion last year at Oakland Bay Junior
High School on the Shelton School
District’s new Health Sciences Acad-
emy, “I looked at my mom and my jaw
dropped,” she recalled.
Now Lacy is dissecting pig hearts,
sheep brains and knee joints in a
class on human body systems, work-
ing her way to a career as, a pediatric
allergist.
John Jones wants to be an EMT,
and then a registered nurse. His
mother and both grandmothers
worked as geriatric nurses.
”
“I’ve always liked helping people, .
Jones said. Next trimester, he will.
study diagnostic medicine.
The academy “is a huge opportu-
nity other school districts don’t have,”
he said. _
Both Lacy and Jones are taking
part in the Shelton School District’s
first academy, launched in 2018 with
more than 300 students. .
Next fall, the district will open
three more academies: business, fi-
nance and hospitality; natural re-
sources; and manufacturing, engi-
neering and technology. Ninth-grade
students entering Shelton High
School make the transition with the
help of the Freshman Academy.
The three academies were select-
ed based on local and regional labor
data showing local jobs that would be
available, said Deena Alley, the direc—
tor of the academies.
All three academies have strong
community partners, she said.
Alley stresses that having students
choose educational pathways does not
prevent them from taking classes
outside those‘pathways, such as lan-
guage arts, band and NJROTC.
The challenge is “just people un-
derstanding this is an opportunity,
not pigeonholing students'into» ‘You
have to do this’ We’re adding op-
portunities, not taking them away,”
she said.
Superintendent Alex Apostle
brought his expertise from the Mis-
soula r County Public Schools, where
he started academies as superin-
tendent. Mason General Hospital
& Family of Clinics now known
as Mason Health —- asked to be the
first community partner in Shelton’s
Health Sciences Academy.
The Freshman Academy launched
last fall. Each student has 'a counselor
and an administrator.
“We know that doing well in ninth
grade is indicative of how they’ll do
academically,” Alley said. .
The district probably will stop a
four academies, Alley said.
Beginning next fall, Business, Fi-
nance and Health Academy students
will study business practices, account-
ing, marketing, culinary, hospitality
and tourism, video production, multi-
media communications, photography
and stagecraft. Career possibilities
. include business owners and manag-
ers, accountants, chefs, stagehands,
actuaries and event planners.
.The Natural Resources Academy
will prepare students for careers as
ecologists, biologists, aquaculturists,
marine biologists, zoologists, park
rangers, botanists, horticulturists,
farmers, ranchers, environmentalists
and natural resource managers.
The Manufacturing, Engineering
and Technology Academy will pre-
pare students for careers as welders,
auto technicians, CAD specialists,
sheet metal specialists, heavy equip-
ment operators, engineers, robotics
technicians, electricians, manufactur-
ers, and residential and commercial
builders.
The Health Sciences Academy in-
cludespaths for direct patient care
occupations, including home health
aides, nurses and EMTs. Students
can also choose a path in nutrition
and fitness and pursue careers as cer-
tified athletic trainers and certified
personal trainers.
The program educates students for
careers as clinical doctors, dentists,
optometrists, pharmacists, psycholo-
gists, nurses, medical assistants,
surgical assistants, veterinarians,
nutritionists/dieticians, speech pa-
thologists, health science educators,
forensic/criminal scientists, dental
hygienists, radiology technicians, and
EMT/paramedics. A
Gideon Combs, a junior, wants to
be a firefighter, and. then a nurse. His
father is a firefighter/paramedic in
Tacoma. .
Last year, Combs took a class in
biomedical science. Next year, he
might enroll in a class conducted by
firefighters in Olympia. He also is
considering enrolling at Brigham
Young University in Provo, Utah.
Senior Morgan Holling said she
has.always wanted to work in the
medical field.
She wants to be a doctor or a sur-
geon. .
“I was born six weeks early, so I
had a lot of medical problems early,”
she said. “I spent days and weeks in
the hospital People made it pos-
sible for me to have a normal life I
want to give back.”
As for dissecting animal parts, it’s
“gross — it’s just a bad smell,” Ho];
ling said. With the cow elbow, “they
tried to cover it up with vinegar, but
it‘didn’t work,” she said.
Holling plans to enroll in the nurs-
ing program at South Puget Sound
Community College in Olympia. She
plans to be a registered nurse, and
then study at the University of Wash—
ington.
Sophomore Myalyn 'Meza was
“pretty ecstatic” when she heard
about the opening of the Health Sci—
ences Academy. She watches the TV
shows “Criminal Minds” and “Law
. and Order: Special Victims Unit” and
wants to be a forensic pathologist. She
plans to graduate early, and wants to
attend Oregon State University.
Health classes are beneficial even
for students who don’t plan on a medi—
cal career, Meza said.
'“You can learn about your oWn
body,” she said. I
o