Photo by Carrie Pryor-Newman
RSS Hosts Ribbon Cutting for Health Science Academy
By: Susan Passmore
Susan Jackson, Goose Creek CISD’s deputy superintendent of curriculum and Instruction welcomed guests at the recent ribbon cutting ceremony for the Health Science Academy at Ross S. Sterling High School. Formerly the annex, the building was renovated to include labs for the academy as a result of the community’s approval of the 2019 bond. Jackson thanked the academy teachers and former teachers for the positive experience her daughter had while in the Health Science Academy.
Dr. Jade Cox, CTE specialist at Sterling, introduced special guests Richard Clem, assistant secretary of the GCCISD board of trustees; Pete Alfaro, Lee College regent; Dr. Randal O’Brien, Goose Creek CISD superintendent, the Executive Leadership Team; Nathan Chaddick, principal; Brenda Garcia and the Facilities Planning and Construction Team, especially Tom Ortman; L.A.N. and program manager Clem Medina; BPK Design; contractor Comex Corporation; Bob Parliament from Workforce Solutions and Health Science Academy faculty member and ambassadors.
Renea Dillon, Goose Creek CISD’s CTE director, recognized by her Gulf Coast Career & Technical Education Association as the 2020-2021 Gulf Coast CTE Administrator of the Year, spoke about the beginnings of the Health Science Academy, which quickly became the fastest growing program in the district.
“What made our Health Science Academy different was the addition of the Biomedical Science pathway that gave students not only a chance to learn about healthcare occupations as our general healthcare does, but it also provided a highly rigorous curriculum to challenge the tops students wanting to enter medical school,” Dillon said.
The Health Science Academy provides the largest number of certifications available, including CNA, CCMA, Pharm Tech and EMT, which will be added in 2021-22 in partnership with Lamar Institute.
Principal Nathan Chaddick expressed his pride in the Health Science Academy, and Julie DeTorre from Houston Methodist Baytown Hospital, a partner with the academy as well as a Partner In Education with Sterling through the Baytown Chamber of Commerce, talked about the benefits of the partnership.
“Many of our academy students continue to move on to college to pursue a career in healthcare. Houston Methodist Baytown Hospital has benefited from our partnership with the academy. We’ve hired almost 60 Health Science Academy students in the past three years, and we’re looking forward to hiring many, many more in the coming years,” DeTorre said.
Aaron Demerson, the commissioner representing employers for the Texas Workforce Commission, drove from Austin to participate in the ribbon cutting.
“I’m going to encourage the students – the ambassadors - to continue doing what you’re doing in that regard. Set your goals and make sure that you write those things down and then make a difference, so when we come back here a year from now we begin to see the amazing difference that’s going to be made by each and every life that’s here,” Demerson said.
After the ribbon cutting, students conducted demonstrations in each lab showing what they were learning in the classes. The Health Science Academy began in 2014 at Sterling in another building, but the first Health Science teacher, Janice Roberts, was hired for the 1974-1975 school year.
Ribbon Cutting Photos