EDINBURG, Texas

La Joya High School senior Yeslem Arredondo earned a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) certificate from South Texas College this summer.

Arredondo was one of nine Academy of Health Science Professions students who took part in the Pathways Aligned to Health Science (PATHS) Project’s CNA Certification Cohort, a five-week intensive summer program in partnership with STC, Region One Education Service Center, Doctors Hospital at Renaissance (DHR) and Rio Grande Valley College.

“I expected it to be really hard, and it was very challenging, but I’m thankful to have had such great STC instructors guiding us through every single part of the course,” Arredondo said.

Elizabeth Diaz, program manager for DHR’s education department, said the Region One ESC PATHS Project, funded by the Texas Education Agency through a federal grant, aims to provide high school students with different academic and career-focused curriculum in health science programs through college partnership.

“Research shows that if you introduce students as early as eighth grade, to any line of work that they want to venture into, then more than likely, they will pursue it in post-secondary education. We are already doing this here at South Texas College.”– Dr. Jayson Valerio, Dean of STC’s Nursing and Allied Health Campus…….

https://news.southtexascollege.edu/taking-the-paths-to-healthcare-careers/