Here are few of our latest Student Success Stories. There will be more added, but for now, check out Racheal Nyarko, Community Protector; Marc Snooks, Information Sponge; and David Yoder, Spark Enthusiast.
SADIE BAKER:
NATURAL-BORN HEALER
If you ever find yourself under Sadie Baker’s care, take comfort in knowing that caring for you is pretty much her destiny.
The 2020 Clare graduate’s path to serving as a Registered Nurse at MyMichigan Medical Center in Midland included an essential stint in CTE’s Health Occupations program. And Baker’s not sure where she’d be without it.
“The dual enrollment offered in my second year in CTE allowed me to be ahead in the races when I applied to nursing school, and I was able to secure a spot right away,” Baker said. “This had a huge impact on my financial situation because it allowed me to get my degree before I was 22.”
Health Occs is one of several CTE programs in which students can earn direct college credits through a partnership with Mid Michigan College. But Baker’s positive relationship with CTE goes well beyond financial concerns.
“CTE was really important to me,” she said. “It gave me confidence and strengthened my passion for healthcare. I was able to focus my studies on something I really cared about. I don’t think I would have had the courage or motivation to pursue my career in nursing without this program and my wonderful instructors.”
Baker also points to the collegial atmosphere CTE provides to students from its five participating school districts.
“I’ve always been very shy,” she said, “and it gave me a community of people within my own school and surrounding schools who had the same interests as me.”
Parlaying her time in CTE into a successful nursing career couldn’t have come as a surprise to Baker; it probably felt like it was meant to be.
“I always felt a pull toward healthcare,” she said. “My mom was a CNA for years and I grew up volunteering in the nursing home. Before I graduated, I was an in-home health aid for developmentally delayed individuals and people with dementia. I loved working with the elderly and helping them live happy, dignified lives.”
Baker is quick to credit CTE for bolstering her desire to work in the field.
“Being a part of CTE solidified those feelings through clinical experience,” she said, “and strengthened my confidence in my ability through knowledge and experience.”
Beyond the obvious Xs and Os she picked up in the classroom, Baker saw her soft skills level up thanks to CTE as well.
“It teaches you to be on time!” she said. “If you miss that bus, that’s three hours you’re missing. It also teaches you that practice and hard work can make you good at anything, even if you struggle with school. It’s more about the practical side if you really want to succeed. It teaches you to self-motivate and work more as an adult would. There are deadlines and grades, but it’s more about trying. You get out of the program what you put into it.”
Baker’s Health Occs instructor, Stacy Nold, isn’t surprised at her former student’s success.
“Sadie is a shining example of what it means to be a dedicated and successful CTE student,” Nold said. “From the moment she began her journey, she knew she wanted to make a difference in the lives of others. Throughout her two years in the program, she consistently demonstrated a strong work ethic and a passion for helping others. Always punctual and prepared, she approached every class and clinical experience with enthusiasm and determination. Her instructors admired her ability to balance her responsibilities while maintaining a bright, cheerful attitude - she always had a smile on her face, no matter how challenging the day.”
Though she’s been out of school for a few years now, Baker seems to have a grasp on all the ways CTE can help students launch a career - or avoid one.
“If you’re on the fence about CTE, try it!” she said. “It’s so much fun and your instructors will guide you the whole way. It’s an important step in knowing what career is for you, especially if you’re unsure. It’s a mini trial; if you don’t like it, you didn’t pay for college classes you won’t use.”