Students at Middletown High School aren’t waiting until graduation to take their first steps into healthcare. Some are already earning credentials, working in the field, and preparing for nursing school.
Through Butler Tech and Middletown High School’s partnership, students have more ways to explore careers in healthcare while still in high school. The addition of Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) and phlebotomy credential programs has opened the door for students to gain hands-on experience and begin working toward their career goals.
And the results are already encouraging.
Last school year, every student in the CNA and phlebotomy programs earned CPR/Basic Life Support (BLS) certification. Students also had opportunities to pursue credentials in nursing assistance and phlebotomy, giving them skills they can put to work right away or build on through further education.
“One outcome I’m especially proud of is that more than half of my seniors from last year are now in nursing school,” Mintkenbaugh shared. “Seeing students continue their education shows how these high school experiences can help them identify and work toward a career goal.”
Students aren’t just learning about healthcare careers. They’re practicing the skills they’ll need in them. CNA students learn to take vital signs, provide personal care, communicate with patients, and support residents’ dignity and independence. In phlebotomy, students practice drawing blood, preventing infection, following laboratory safety procedures, and communicating with patients.
Those lessons extend beyond the classroom thanks to partnerships with Arlington Pointe and Ohio Living. Students have opportunities for clinical experiences, mentoring, career exploration, and connections with healthcare professionals who can help them understand what working in the field is really like.
For Mintkenbaugh, one of the best parts of teaching these programs is watching students discover what they’re capable of.
“The most rewarding part has been watching students gain confidence and begin to see themselves as future healthcare professionals,” she said. “A student may start out unsure about performing a skill or speaking with a patient, then grow into someone who approaches that responsibility with care and confidence.”
One student’s experience shows just how quickly those opportunities can turn into something more.
After earning her nursing assistant certification as a junior, the Middletown student began working as a CNA while continuing her high school education. Now a senior, she’s enrolled in the phlebotomy program and applying to local nursing schools.
She’s gaining real experience, earning a paycheck, and working toward her next goal, all before receiving her high school diploma.
For Butler Tech and Middletown High School, that’s what makes this partnership so valuable. Students have the chance to explore a career, develop practical skills, and discover where they want to go next.
And for students who already know healthcare is in their future, they don’t have to wait to get started.