Hannah Stewart wanted to see what might be next for her. As a high school student who liked science – her microbiology class was a favorite – she sought to explore career options that pointed toward health care.
Her high school academic counselor told her about the MedX program offered through Aspire by Sanford. This program gives students like Stewart a glimpse into the professional lives of those who work in health care and medicine.
Stewart didn’t know anything about working in a lab but was excited to experience medical laboratory science first-hand through the MedX program. Stewart learned one of the values of the program was how it gave her a chance to see careers she had never even thought of before.
These programs include both clinical and nonclinical positions. Essentially if it has anything to do with health care, there is a program under the Aspire umbrella that will give students a closer look.
“We went around and toured all the departments within the hospital,” Stewart said. “I did not really expect that when I first got involved in the program. It was awesome. All the people we talked to were super great. They were fun and excited to talk to us little high school kids. For me it was like ‘I don’t know what I’m doing here, but this is really fun.’”
Stewart is now a medical laboratory scientist for Sanford Health and she definitely knows what she is doing. She is one of many who have participated in the program and gone on to careers in health care. In this case, her involvement in Aspire gave her a glimpse of her future.
“We got hands-on learning,” Stewart said. “We got to lay on a CT bed and see what it was like from a patient’s side. We got to play with an ultrasound machine, and we got to practice giving shots on a fake arm. It wasn’t like someone just talking to you. It was like ‘OK, here is what we do.’”
Collaborating for a cause
Aspire effectively planted a seed for Stewart. For a program striving to prepare students for careers in health care, it introduced a path that she has never left.
Sanford offers many career exploration opportunities for students. The idea is to bridge the gap between lessons learned in the classroom and scope and depth of opportunities in health care.
Aspire director Linda Kirchhevel says the program has steadily expanded offerings across the Sanford footprint.
“We keep on making sure we’re meeting needs,” Kirchhevel said. “We work to meet the needs of Sanford while also meeting the needs of K-12 students and teachers. We aim to broaden what people know about health care careers beyond what they have personally experienced as a patient or family member.”
Aspire programs come in four education levels:
- Discover – For elementary students with offerings including career days, summer camps, classroom visits from Sanford employees, community partnerships and volunteer opportunities.
- Explore – For junior high and middle school students with career days, career exploration camps, classroom visits, participation in Sanford PROMISE outreach, volunteer opportunities and conversations with Sanford professionals.
- Experience – For high school students with multiple opportunities to learn more about individual interests and strengths in health care. This includes collaboration with Sanford Health professionals with local high schools in providing guidance in health care career exploration. Among the many programs are opportunities for internships, summer camps, job shadowing and volunteering.
- Develop – For post-high school students, aimed at developing skills and knowledge through programs featuring lectures, tours and simulations from Sanford health care professionals.
Introduction to Sanford Health
Collectively, Aspire plays a vital role in promoting a career in health care to future generations by creating a clear pathway within Sanford that is guided by health professionals. All in-person and virtual offerings are led by certified career coaches.
In so doing, this effort benefits the students it serves and the communities that Sanford serves.
“We offer students a behind-the-scenes view of health care settings,” Kirchhevel said. “Students explore health care careers through a variety of hands-on activities, lectures and tours. Many times, these experiences include careers that students did not know even existed.”
That was definitely the case for Stewart, who found her career while developing a more accurate feeling about what she was interested in.
“For me I was able to rule out some departments where I thought they were really cool but not something I was really interested in,” Stewart said. “At the end of the day, that was a valuable part of my experience, too.”
In 2023, Aspire facilitated 40,387 interactions with students totaling nearly 1,400 hours. Along with those impressive numbers has come an increased presence within education. Sanford Health and school systems in the region are collaborating in the ways they can help each other.
“It’s not only based on Sanford’s needs as an employer, but also what is going on in the curriculum world in K-through-12 education,” Kirchhevel said. “They’re looking for work-based opportunities, and we’re matching up our programs to those needs. That’s why Aspire continues to grow.”
Students or parents interested in Aspire by Sanford Educational Programs can apply online.
Learn more
- Simulation gives students glimpse into health care careers
- Sanford supports the future workforce beyond the classroom
- Sanford PROMISE celebrates 10 years of learning by doing
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Posted In Back to School, Community, , Research, Undergrad College Resources
Mick Garry
Mick Garry is a marketing content writer for Sanford Health. He has 30 years of experience working as a sportswriter in Minnesota and South Dakota with more than 28 of those years working at the Sioux Falls Argus Leader. He serves on the board of the Howard Wood Dakota Relays and the South Dakota Sports Hall of Fame. You can follow him at @mickgarry5 or reach him at (605) 312-4337 / michael.garry@sanfordhealth.org.
