On November 22, 2024, TGR Foundation gathered students from four high schools in the Anaheim Union High School District for the second annual career panel event, hosted in partnership with Providence. Designed to provide aspiring healthcare professionals with exposure, networking opportunities and hands-on activities, the event engaged students from Savanna, Magnolia, Kennedy and Western.
“This event was important for students because they had direct access to Providence physicians, nurses and role models in a variety of hospital professions, including Respiratory Therapy and Cardiovascular Services,” said John Cross, chief of staff at Providence St. Joseph Orange. “There are many professions that work in healthcare besides doctors and nurses. Introducing the students to those roles may open the door to a career path they did not know before.”
The event was a beneficial experience for students and professionals. Providence professionals had an opportunity to expand the pipeline of future caregivers interested in a variety of healthcare careers. Simultaneously students were provided exposure and a clear vision of careers in health care.
From day-to-day life and insights of responsibilities to applicable skills, professionals shared their journeys and insights into their roles.
“My experience was very educational,” said Mila Filali, a 10th grade student from Savanna High School. “I met multiple professionals from different backgrounds with different backstories, and I was able to relate to a lot of them, especially Dr. Mai.”
Through the stories of professionals students were able to envision themselves in similar roles while learning about their paths to success.
“The most rewarding part of the experience was hearing their stories and how they overcame their challenges,” added Filali. “When Dr. Mai said she immigrated with her family into America I was able to relate to that, I came from a third-world country, and I think her advice was very useful to me.”
Dr. Van Mai, Medical Director of Care Management at Providence was among eight professionals from Providence who volunteered their time to share career insights as panelists and lead networking discussions. Other Providence professionals included Brian Lee, Adam Ford, John Cross, Cornell Coca, Leonor Burris, Omar Castro and Salvatore Lopez
In addition to networking and learning from professionals, students collaborated with their peers in an experiment designed to protect a pill through pharmaceutical engineering. During the activity they learned how pills are designed to survive conditions of the stomach to provide relief for patients.
After two sessions of panels and networking, students returned to their schools with actionable insights. A survey showed that 91% of the 251 students from the four high schools in attendance planned to apply what they learned during the event.
“It’s important for students to realize how much they are needed in the health care workforce and that there are many ways to get there” said Cecilia Bustamante Pixa, senior director of community health at Providence. “In addition, the synergy between TGR Foundation and Providence can and should be replicated so that other Orange County organizations or major employers can invest in and contribute to a pipeline of the future health care workforce. The opportunity for Providence to participate in the Career Panel was truly bidirectional.”
The career panel event is one of several career-connected learning opportunities offered by the TGR Learning Lab to help students plan and prepare for their futures. Learn more at TGRFoundation.org.
