Congratulations to Jada Long, for being accepted into the Rural Health Careers Camp at Rockford University. The four-day, overnight educational program for students interested in the healthcare field allows students to participate in hands-on learning activities and labs that represent different healthcare careers. The annual, summer camp program is hosted by the National Center for Rural Health Professionals (NCRHP) at the University of Chicago Health Sciences Campus.
The NCRHP is home to the Rural Health Professions (RHP) Program and the Illinois Area Health Education Centers Network (AHEC) Program which are committed to recruiting and retaining the next generation of rural health professionals. Jada is the first Memorial Hospital Medical Explorer to apply for the Careers Camp program. This opportunity is available to all high school students throughout Illinois who have an interest in healthcare careers. (Learn More: https://ncrhp.uic.edu/programs/internships-experiences/rural-health-careers-camp/)
Jada is the daughter of Jeremy & Natalie Long of Steeleville and is a Junior at Sparta High School. She has been in the Memorial Hospital Medical Explorers Program for three years. Upon graduation she plans to go to school for nursing with the ultimate goal of being a CRNA (Nurse Anesthetist).
Throughout the Medical Explorers Program she has had the opportunity to participate in many hands-on activities from a variety of departments throughout healthcare. One of her favorite presentations was in Pharmacy when students learned about principles of medicine and participated in labs to demonstrate these principles. She loves the many things she has learned about the different aspects of medical field careers, "I have a more in-depth knowledge of what certain practices do for a living in healthcare."
As an Explorer, she has had the advantage of job shadowing with several of the departments throughout the Memorial healthcare system. Her favorite department to job shadow with, is nursing. "Whether it be the family nurse practitioner, bed-side/floor nurses, or the surgical nurses, I learn more than I could have in a classroom setting. The interactions and daily routines are something that I take note of so that I can be a nurse like them in the future."
Jada is a member of several school clubs and programs as well as community programs, such as: Student Council, FFA, Leo's Club, Spanish Club, Lifesavers, Math Club, and National Honor Society. She enjoys helping those around her by organizing donations for community needs, working with the non-profit organization, Hit-N-Miss, to inspire youth in the outdoors, and she is an active member of the St. Boniface Catholic Church in Evansville.
She is excited for the opportunity to attend the NCRHP Careers Camp to learn more about healthcare career options, meet current health profession students, and broaden her understanding of her specific career interests. Jada is grateful for the opportunities she has been given as she makes plans for her future; "Medical Explorers gave me the amazing opportunity to see just how Chester Memorial runs, and I am interested in working here throughout my nursing career."
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