Students prepare for their dreams

Marie Burns, In-Depth Editor

Growing up, Payton Lemke, senior, dreamed of becoming a nurse just like her mom, but that changed halfway through her freshmen year. She experienced a semi-serious injury from playing basketball. After surgery and physical therapy, Lemke realized that a certain other career in the medical field was a little more up her alley.

“I saw how well my Physical Therapists helped me when I had my surgery and how they helped me get back to playing basketball,” said Lemke. “Now, I want to do the same thing for other people.”

Lemke is taking part in one of many internships offered in Rockford for aspiring high school students. These programs allow students to have a hands-on, real life experience where they can actually get a feel for what it is like in the workforce. There are numerous programs and internships in the local area for a wide range of career fields, including fashion, trades, management, technicians, and more.

“I take a Certified Nursing Assistant class which helps me understand range of motion skills for a career as a Physical Therapist,” said Lemke. “We are in scrubs, while we take vital signs and follow nurses around at Mercyhealth Hospital.”

Participating in a program related to students’ personal career interests can be a first step towards their dream, or, in many cases, towards a realization that a specific job is not what is truly what they anticipated.

“Internships give students a real-world experience that can’t be replicated in a classroom,” said Mrs. Donna Pauley, Health Science academy counselor. “The fact that a student has a patient, can take care of the patient, not a robot, there are real emotions that come with it.”