On Thursday, October 29, 2015, 30 guests attended Skyline College’s inaugural Allied Health Panel. The event, held in the multicultural center in building four, featured seven Allied Health current and former student panelists from Surgical Technology, Respiratory Care, Emergency Medical Technician, and Nursing programs. Two panelists, Alfredo Raxon and Mylene Magallanes are former Skyline College Career Advancement Academy Allied Health students who are currently working in their respective Allied Health fields and pursuing additional education. Alfredo is a licensed, practicing EMT completing his prerequisites for transfer at Skyline College, and Mylene is a registered nurse completing her bachelor’s degree in nursing at San Francisco State University.
Our other exceptional panelists included: Josh Blair and Aurore Etienne, from Skyline College’s Surgical Technologist program, Reina Wong and Danae Du Plessis, currently in Skyline College’s Respiratory Care Program, and Matthew Hodges, a former Skyline College student currently enrolled in the College of San Mateo’s Nursing Program. The guest panelists offered practical advice and key insights on being a student and working in the health field with the aim of helping students achieve their goals of entering into higher level allied health programs and allied health careers.
The panelists each shared words of wisdom and counsel for current and future allied health students.
Mylene Magallanes shared her insights with students saying, “never give up no matter how challenging. You can do it! There is always an abundance of resources and support along the way. You just have to reach out. Stay focused and positive and you will get there.”
Aurore Ettienne advised students interested in the medical field to volunteer in the field in which they are interested. By volunteering, they will develop a sense of what that field entails, and they will further understand their decision before making a commitment to a lengthy, rigorous program.
This event was made possible by Skyline College’s support for innovative events and programming and by the hard work and dedication of the CAA team including: Jeremy Evangelista, Monique Hernandez, Troy Barros, Paul Rueckhaus, Courtney Mogg, Alina Varona, and others who helped plan, organize, and support the event.
The event received generous support from The Center for Workforce Development’s Career Advancement Academy. To learn more about careers in Allied Health and the Allied Health Career Advancement Academy please visit: http://www.skylinecollege.edu/caa/alliedhealth.php or email skycaa@smccd.edu
Article by Alina Varona | Photos by Jeremy Evangelista
