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A group of recent Hamilton High School graduates are spending the start of their summer preparing for careers in healthcare through a brand new Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) program partnership between Hamilton Community Schools and the Center for Medical Training in Grandville.

The opportunity, made available to students at no cost through the Michigan Achievement Scholarship, allows graduates to complete both classroom and clinical CNA training immediately following graduation while gaining valuable hands-on experience in patient care.

Students begin the program during the third trimester of their senior year through online coursework before transitioning into in-person clinical training after graduation.

“They sign up with their counselors for their third trimester of the school year and then we complete an online program with them where they learn all the knowledge,” explained Ashley Bauer, RN with the Center for Medical Training. “So why we’re doing things, the way we do things, how to interact with patients, like the basic knowledge portion and then once the student graduates they will come here to Center for Medical Training and complete their clinical portion of the program.”

For many students, the experience has helped confirm their passion for healthcare while also providing clarity about future career paths.

“When I heard about this opportunity, I was really excited because I knew I wanted to do something in the medical field, but I wasn’t sure what,” said recent graduate Maddie Jipping. “This will help me decide what I want to pursue further.”

Students spent the week practicing hands-on skills and preparing for clinical experiences in nursing homes and healthcare facilities.

“And now we’re here for a week doing hands-on stuff and learning skills,” said Adi Garvelink. “Tomorrow we’re going to go to the nursing home and we’re going to actually do it on real people.”

The program also gave students a deeper understanding of the important role CNAs play in patient care.

“I learned how in-depth what a CNA actually does is, and they’re really the person that’s with the patient the most,” Garvelink said.

Jipping added that patient care goes far beyond medical procedures.

“A role of a CNA is to provide care for them,” she explained. “So care can look like keeping them clean, giving them baths, washing their feet, brushing their teeth, giving them food.”

For some students, the program reinforced long-term goals in healthcare. Recent graduate Lilyam Garcia hopes to pursue a future in nursing.

“My goal is to be a labor and delivery nurse,” Garcia said. “It’s an extra thing I can put on my resume if things go well. I’m just glad I got to do this.”

Others discovered new directions for their future careers through the experience. Oscar Guzman said the program helped him realize his interests may lie elsewhere within healthcare, such as radiology.

“If it wasn’t for Hamilton, I wouldn’t be here in the CNA program expanding not only what could also be my resume, but also what I know,” Guzman said. “I’m really grateful that I am one of the guinea pigs for the CNA program. I hope more people take advantage of this opportunity.”

Garvelink plans to immediately put her training to use this summer.

“I am so thankful for this honestly because I’m going to actually use this this summer and I’m going to go work as a CNA in geriatrics,” she said.

The students also credited Hamilton Community Schools for helping prepare them academically for the opportunity through courses such as anatomy and other career-focused experiences.

“I’m very grateful to be a part of this opportunity, especially being the first ones,” Jipping said. “Some other things Hamilton has done that helped me was taking an anatomy class. That really helped further my interest in this.”

Garcia said the program is another example of the opportunities available to students at Hamilton High School.

“I love Hamilton High School because it gave me a lot of opportunities that I will never forget,” Garcia said. “I have all these experiences. I’m just happy.”

Bauer showed appreciation for the Hamilton Community Schools throughout the process and highlighted the support shown by counselors, staff, students, and families.

“Honestly, Hamilton has been amazing,” Bauer said. “The counselors have been amazing and really good facilitators, and you can tell they’re good advocates for their students. You can tell parents are involved. The way the students ask questions — it’s been very refreshing to see.”

She also thanked Hamilton staff members who helped coordinate the partnership and support students throughout the experience.

As Hamilton Community Schools continues expanding Career and Technical Education opportunities for students, the CNA partnership represents another pathway helping Hawkeyes gain real-world experience and industry certifications while preparing for future careers.