Rosa’s current course load at The Career Academy will help her save many lives as a future healthcare professional.

The Southeast High School senior is relying on a strong heartbeat of academic options at TCA to achieve her goal of becoming an emergency physician. She has become immersed in the focus program’s health sciences pathway, which offers nearly two dozen classes about medical terminology, nursing assisting, medication aide, biology, phlebotomy, physical therapy, athletic training, sociology, pharmacology, human anatomy and human physiology. She is taking an emergency medical technician (EMT) course that will give her dreams additional momentum.

“Before TCA, I wasn’t sure of what I wanted to do,” Rosa said. “But being in these health science classes solidified to me that I was sure of what I wanted. I feel like I’ve learned so much and I feel very ahead. Being able to potentially become an EMT in high school rather than my first year of college speeds up my plans.”

Talia Hubbard and Tracy Wiese said students like Rosa are why they enjoy leading classes in the health sciences pathway. Wiese is a science teacher at TCA who has been with the program since its inception in 2014. Hubbard is a veteran paramedic who guides future lifesavers at both Southeast Community College and TCA.

“Watching students like Rosa get a head start is one of the most rewarding aspects of this program,” Wiese said. “It gives them a unique opportunity to gain hands-on, real-world experience, test their passion for healthcare early, and build confidence before ever stepping onto a college campus or entering the workforce. Seeing them develop foundational clinical skills, earn professional certifications and step into their future medical careers with clarity and a strong sense of purpose makes the entire effort worthwhile.”

“I enjoy watching the students grow their knowledge and take those first steps toward any medical career,” Hubbard said. “EMT knowledge is a great way to get initiated into healthcare, firefighting, paramedicine, nursing, pre-med majors and many more.”

The health sciences pathway has become popular at TCA, which is a joint venture between Lincoln Public Schools and Southeast Community College. More than 25 percent of the focus program’s 869 applicants are enrolled in medical-based classes this year. Lincoln Board of Education members were happy to learn in August that 268 students had signed up for health sciences courses.

There were 178 students enrolled in the health sciences pathway in 2023-24. Those numbers rose to 192 and 201 the following two years before enjoying significant growth this year.

The success of TCA’s approach to healthcare education has been noticed beyond campus. Jami Denny is a health sciences career field specialist with the Nebraska Department of Education and is the state advisor of the HOSA Future Health Professionals student organization. She said it is exciting to watch new waves of students enter their chosen fields.

“Students who complete health science courses in high school are substantially more likely to continue along a pathway into healthcare,” Denny said. “These students are more likely to enroll in health-related postsecondary education, attain a health-related credential or degree, and, ultimately, be employed within Nebraska’s healthcare industry.”

Rosa said TCA’s hands-on activities are catapulting her toward her career ambitions. Emergency physicians evaluate, diagnose and treat patients of all ages suffering from acute, unexpected injuries and illnesses. These can include heart attacks, strokes, bone fractures and other traumatic emergencies.

The EMT class helps Rosa practice skills like communicating with patients, quickly identifying medical issues and working with fellow emergency specialists. Having an EMT certification is a key step in a process that will include years of medical school. TCA first offered its EMT course in 2016-17.

“I thought becoming an EMT would help me gain loads of experience and become more knowledgeable,” Rosa said. “I also think directly saving lives is really admirable, so it’s something I want to do as well.”

Hubbard said obtaining an EMT license through TCA will benefit Rosa and her classmates in many ways. It will help them stand out on college, scholarship and workforce applications, and it gives them patient contact hours that are necessary for medical degree programs. It also provides the option of applying for positions on emergency medical services (EMS) teams like fire and rescue departments.

“The EMT curriculum gives students a solid foundation of anatomy, physiology, disease pathways and treatment options that EMS practices,” Hubbard said. “This allows students a leg up no matter what their future plans include. It is a fun and interactive course that gives them time with EMS professionals as well as real patient contacts.”

Rosa and other future EMTs practiced carrying patients up and down flights of stairs during one of the sessions. They strapped each other into special lift chairs and rehearsed safe moving techniques.

The group also learned how to place patients on wheeled stretchers and load them through the rear doors of a built-in ambulance station. They then successfully unloaded the mannequins on their cots from the ambulance.

Rosa will soon etch her name on a long list of TCA graduates who save lives as healthcare professionals. Wiese said she’s continually motivated by their servant-hearted stories in the community.

“It’s deeply rewarding to see so many TCA alumni thriving across the healthcare field, whether in local hospitals, clinics or specialized orthopedic offices,” Wiese said. “Hearing that their time at TCA gave them the confidence and preparation needed for their higher education and careers makes all the difference.”

Ready to do high school differently? Explore The Career Academy and its multiple career pathways.

Do you have a story idea? Share it with the LPS Communications Team by filling out this form!