NEW ORLEANS — Imagine being only 17 years old and already knowing your career path is in health care, and while still in high school, already having a head start, working alongside medical professionals.
Tionna Albert saw her grandmother, Lisa Sorina, struggle with diabetes.
“She had to take insulin. She had a lot of fluid in her legs. I used to call her every morning, and every evening, every night, 'Maw Maw, make sure you take your insulin. You know how much to take?' And ever since then, like, I just wanted to help people. That was my calling,” said MLK High School senior, Tionna Albert, 18.
So, for her senior year, she left her school, and friends, and transferred to King High.
“I'm thinking about my future. My future's more important to me than what I'm doing right now,” Albert said.
At Martin Luther King, Jr. High School, in the Lower Ninth Ward, the health care curriculum is the largest at any high school in the state of Louisiana.
Tionna is one of 15 in the senior class, who already has real-life training in hospitals and clinics. Students have certifications in patient care, drawing blood as a phlebotomist, pre-nursing, and even life-saving CPR.
Felicione Beham almost had to use it at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.
“Emergency response team showed up there as well when I got there, but I was thankful that, you know, I was blessed to almost save a life. I'm nervous, but either be nervous and someone dies, or suck it up and go save a life like you were taught,” MLK senior, Felicione Beham, 17, remembers thinking.
She, and others, decided to go into health care after taking just one medical terminology class with teacher – and registered nurse – Tracy Brown.
“It surprises me as to how dedicated they are as young kids, and they take, they take this very, very serious, and that, it makes me feel good to see that,” said Tracy Brown, who practiced as a registered nurse in the health care field until going to the school to teach a few years ago.
King High School pays for them to get training at the New Orleans Career Center. Now Kentrell Lumar could be eligible for a college scholarship for men who are going into nursing.
“Not only do I want to help people, I want to spread my influence into nursing. Nobody wants to feel sick, and I just want to make them feel more comfortable in that setting,” said senior, Kentrell Lumar,17.
Tionna is a straight-A student, and class salutatorian. Her grandmother won't be at commencement on Friday. She passed away at only 58, but you know she would be very proud.
The school says The Blood Center has already contacted them offering several of the graduates jobs.
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