College of Southern Maryland (CSM) students who have chosen to pursue careers in health care were celebrated Thursday, Jan. 11 at the Health Career Readiness Recognition ceremony.
Seventy-eight students who completed programs to become clinical medical assistants, certified nursing and geriatric nursing assistants, dental assistants, phlebotomy technicians, paramedics, nutrition coaches and personal trainers in summer and fall 2023 were celebrated.
Professor and Chair of CSM Health Programs Candi Hume served as the mistress of ceremonies for the event and welcomed the graduates by congratulating them on choosing careers where they can make a meaningful difference in people’s lives.
“Given the past few years of the COVID pandemic, people generally recognize that health careers are in high demand,” she said. “You are ready to take advantage of this industry need by completing your credential and entering the healthcare workforce where you will have an immediate impact on health outcomes.
“I am very excited to celebrate with you this evening,” she continued. “You have worked hard to complete the requirements of your program and I hope you are looking forward to finding those first jobs in a new career field. I want to share my wish for you that you approach these new roles with passion and a continued love of learning.”
Hume next explained the significance of the items that students would receive at the ceremony. She said that the pin recognizes the hard work it took for students to complete their education and is a way of pronouncing that they are ready to serve society as a healthcare professional. Often inspired by the Maltese Cross and the Red Cross, symbols that date back to the knights of the crusades, the pin is a symbol of welcome and acceptance into the profession.
Clinical Medical Assistants
Certified clinical medical assistant students completed the courses Introduction to Clinical Medical Assisting, Basic Procedures for Medical Assisting, and Advanced Procedures for Medical Assisting. They perform tasks including preparing patients for the doctor, obtaining vital signs, collecting specimens, performing EKGs, and assisting during exams and procedures to name a few.
The students who received their clinical medical assistant pins were Jerniecia Bell-Smith, Erica Brawley, Jaqueline Carr, Sanaa Coles, Brooklyn Ford, Jordan Hales, Asia Judkins, Zakoria Robinson, Tanya Sharma, Kaitlyn Williams, and Nicole Yumba.
Certified Nursing Assistant/ Geriatric Nursing Assistant
A student who successfully completes this workforce training certificate meets eligibility requirements to become a certified nursing assistant through application to the Maryland Board of Nursing. To obtain a Geriatric Nursing Assistant Certification, students can take the NNAAP Maryland Nurse Aide Examination approved by the Maryland Board of Nursing to obtain their nursing assistant certification. Students can also take the geriatric nursing assistant competency exam. A nursing assistant performs duties for patients in a health care setting, such as feeding, dressing, grooming, moving and changing linens. This workforce training certificate consists of two classes: Nursing Assistant Fundamentals and Nursing Assistant Practice.
Students who completed the Certified Nursing and Geriatric Nursing Assistants program were Shelby Anderson, Kanyree Brooks, Grace Nelson, Aspen Dean, Amanda Griffin, Dayteen Grinnage, Shacarra Hart, Emily Rauda, and Kayleigh Young.
Certified Dental Assistants
Students who have received their Dental Assistant certification qualify to sit for the Dental Assisting National Board Radiation Health and Safety Examination. They are prepared to assist with patient care and with further education can become registered dental hygienists.
Students who completed this program were Ivett Aparicio Perez, Ryleigh Goldsmith, Sophia Kreider, Azhontae Morgan, Lamont Odum, Cameryn Phillips, Fiona Quenano, Persiah Robinson, Magdalene Tambe, and Leila Yonemura.
Phlebotomy
Phlebotomy technicians draw blood from patients or donors. With further training, a technician can become a medical laboratory technician or technologist. Students who completed this program were Haley Adams, Eiliethya Brunswick, Chesarae Hamlin, and Alexis Eakle
EMS Paramedic
The Emergency Medical Services – Paramedic certificate program prepares graduates to provide emergency pre-hospital medical care to those who have sustained potentially life-threatening illnesses and injuries. Completion of the Paramedic certificate program qualifies graduates to take the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technician-Paramedic (NREMT-P) examinations or comparable state examinations.
Students who completed the program were Jenna Albertson, Kristi Benvenuto, Brooke Bixby, Zachary Hooper, Brandon Hosselrode, and Joscelynne Pannone.
Nutrition Coaches
Students who studied to be certified nutrition coaches have been prepared to sit for an exam to receive their certification from the National Academy of Sports Medicine.
The students who completed this program were Hannah Badeaux, Patrick Beavers, Kara Bradbury, Blaine Brashear, Alexander Brown, Tyreke Brown, Timothy Coleman, Amber-Chanelle Core, Evan Currie, Imani Davis, Gabrielle Deen, Quintin Dingman, Jared Harry, Trenton Hoyt, Bryson Hutzell, Amenah Kitchens, Patricia Krohns, Tobias Lane, Rylan Langley, Sofia Larsen, Ryan Prehoda, Camryn Rhodes, Jacob Schmelzer, Logan Smith, Morgan Spargo, Rachael Terrents, Paige Trumpower, Clare Woollen, and Tora Wright.
Personal Trainers
Students who completed their personal training coursework were Jordan Bushrod, Alexander Collier, Charles Cumming, Camari Logan, Zachary Roll, Darrick Sesker, Jalesa Watkins, Lynn Williams, and Clare Wollen.
Hume closed with two pieces of advice for graduates. The first was to find ways to care for themselves as well as others.
“The healthcare team tends to put service before self,” she explained. “You must find a way to establish and maintain your own health. Health careers will be exhausting physically and emotionally.”
The second was to see this as not the end of their educational journey, but the beginning. “It is through lifelong learning that you will grow both personally and professionally and gain an even greater ability to contribute to quality health care,” she said.
