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Newspaper Archive of
Shelton Mason County Journal
Shelton, Washington
March 5, 2020     Shelton Mason County Journal
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March 5, 2020
 
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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