Birmingham City Schools, UAB Nursing Partner to Prepare Students for College and Future Careers

Student Maria Manuel works toward a career in nursing with the assistance of Crystal Freeman, adjunct instructor nursing family/child health/caregiver at UAB School of Nursing. (Amarr Croskey, For The Birmingham Times)
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Sym Posey | The Birmingham Times

Maria Manuel is just a freshman at Huffman High School but already knows what she wants to do once she graduates. “I want to be an ultrasound technician,” said the 15-year-old.

Thanks to a Pathways to Professional Nursing Program at her school she is already on her way.

Designed to prepare students for post-secondary education, the program launched last fall at Huffman High School and is co-managed by Crystal Freeman, adjunct instructor nursing family/child health/caregiver at UAB School of Nursing and Allyson Sanders, UAB School of Nursing Instructor.

Currently, 19 Huffman High School students are participating with plans to welcome 9th-graders from Woodlawn, Wenonah, and Ramsay High Schools next year.

“It feels really good to be a part of this program,” Manuel said. “It gives me a chance to be in the medical field in the future and this is a great opportunity … it will be worth it. “

Students will have opportunities to take advanced and dual-enrollment classes, visit the UAB campus on a scheduled basis and participate in summer enrichment activities. Those who complete the program and enroll at UAB will be considered pre-nursing students and will receive further exposure to professional nursing through their participation in the UAB Student Nurse Association.

With an existing Academy of Health Science, Huffman High School was an ideal choice for the program, complete with readily accessible resources such as a health care skills lab with a nursing station and mannequins.

Birmingham City Schools Superintendent, Mark Sullivan, Ed.D. said Pathways to Professional Nursing Program is another example of how BCS prepares students for college and career.

“We know that in our community, a lot of times individuals feel more comfortable when they are working with doctors and nurses that may look like or have similar experiences as they do,” said Sullivan. “Having this diverse group of students, that are here to really learn about nursing and take it to that next level.”

Crystal Freeman, adjunct instructor nursing family/child health/caregiver at UAB School of Nursing helps students with the blood pressure check. (Amarr Croskey, For The Birmingham Times)

Freeman, who has been in the nursing field over 20 years said, “I don’t know if it’s a feeling, obligation, or a calling. I feel like I owe this back to the students. Someone took the time to prepare me. Someone took the time to mentor me … [and] prepare me to be the best version of myself at a place when I did not know how to be a nurse. This is the time now to help put that back into the students.”

One of the program goals is to prepare students for success to take the patient care technician certification exam upon graduation. Additionally, students will gain research and quality improvement experience working with UAB nurse scientists.

The goal is for each student to publish a scientific paper or complete a scientific poster and participate in a professional nursing conference prior to graduating from high school.

Upon completion of the program, if the student decides to attend to UAB, cohorts will be considered pre-nursing students and known as Mary Eliza Mahoney Scholars, after the first African American licensed nurse and notable figure in advocating for equality in nursing education.

Principal John Lyons Jr. Ed.D. said he was happy to see students begin now to acquire the skills to help others. “The boy and girls in the program genuinely love it .., They love learning how to take care of themselves and others. Most of these kids want to do this so that they can come back to the community,” he said.