WSSNews | Volume 39 No. 48

WESTSIDESTORY NEWSPAPER

High School Students Step into Health Care Careers at WesternU White Coat Ceremony

DVANTA

POMONA, CA - More than 200 high school seniors from 10 San Bernardino Coun- ty schools participated in Future Health Care Professionals Day, a hands-on career explora- tion event at Western University of Health Sci- ences (WesternU) in Pomona. Hosted by San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools (SBCSS), the event welcomed students en- rolled in Health Science and Medical Technol- ogy Career Technical Education (CTE) path- ways for a day of immersive learning, faculty engagement and exposure to postsecondary health care programs across multiple disci- plines.

Held on February 4, the event began with a White Coat Ceremony, offering students a meaningful glimpse into what a future in health care could look like.

"Future Health Care Professionals Day helps students envision themselves as health care professionals," said County Superintendent Ted Alejandre. "Partnering with a university like WesternU allows students to see that a world-class education is available right here in their own backyard."

The event highlighted CTE as a launchpad to high-demand, high-skill health care careers, showcasing how classroom coursework aligns with real-world workforce needs.

Throughout the day, students participated in hands-on rotations across several WesternU colleges and programs, including the College of Graduate Nursing, College of Optometry, Master of Health Administration, College of Pharmacy, College of Podiatric Medicine, College of Osteopathic Medicine, and Physi- cian Assistant. During each rotation, students engaged directly with health care profession- als and current WesternU students, gaining in- sight into academic pathways and career op- portunities.

Participating schools included:

High School District

Colony High School, Chaffey Joint Union High School District

• Fontana High School, Fontana Unified School District

• Granite Hills High School, Apple Valley Uni- fied School District

Indian Springs High School, San Bernardino City Unified School District

⚫ Los Osos High School, Chaffey Joint Union High School District

• Rialto High School, Rialto Unified School District

• Yucaipa High School, Yucaipa-Calimesa Joint Unified School District

Future Health Care Professionals Day re- flects an ongoing partnership between SBC- SS and WesternU to expand access to health care education, strengthen alignment between

• A.B. Miller High School, Fontana Unified K-12 and higher education, and build a sus- School District tainable regional health care workforce pipe-

⚫ Barstow High School, Barstow Unified line for students across the County. School District

• Chaffey High School, Chaffey Joint Union