CAREERSPOTLIGHT SPOTLIGHT ON: HE ALTH SCIENCES HOSA - Future Health Professionals is a Career and Technical Student Organization focused on service and health care. With help from its advisor Steph Steinke, Elkhorn Area High School’s chapter sent 24 students to the HOSA International Leadership Conference in Dallas in June. Elkhorn’s public health team of freshmen made it through both rounds of competition and placed eighth internationally. HOSA member Yamila Hernandez said, “We sacrificed a lot of our free time in preparation for HOSA competition. I’m glad to say our hard work paid off. Dallas was such a fun experience. The
ABBY VINZ
breakout sessions were very versatile and interesting, the expo had so many educational stands, and my favorite part was meeting people from all over the States and trading pins with them!” Teammate Annie Grochowski added, “My team had a great dynamic and through this experience, I developed lasting friendships with all of them.” Also on the team was Lesly Rodriguez, who said, “I personally loved this experience and had a lot of fun just seeing the passion that everyone had towards the health professions. I will definitely compete next year in the same event.” n
AVA VANDOMMELEN
ABBY VINZ, DIETARY AID Abby Vinz is a Watertown High School student in a Health Sciences Youth Apprenticeship at North Shore Healthcare with mentor Lori Lutze. Abby became interested in the health care field through her sister, a nurse practitioner who works in rehab at Lake Country Landing. Abby’s sister mentioned her employer was looking for new dietary aids. Abby applied and got the job. A day in the life for Abby involves going to school and leaving at 2:30 p.m. to get ready for work. She arrives at work around 3 p.m. On the job, she takes patients’ orders, delivers those orders, provides room service and assists with kitchen work. She gets home around 8:30 p.m. Abby said if you are interested in this field, you need to learn how to have patience and how to work with different populations. About the future, she said, “I want to be a nurse practitioner too—I will be switching over to CNA [certified nursing assistant] once I complete my exam.” n
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STUFF SC | Spring 2019
MEDIC AL RESE ARCHER
tists at the Morgridge Institute for Research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
When Ava VanDommelen was just seven years old, the No. 1 item on her Christmas wish list was a microscope. This gift sparked her interest in science and research – a passion that hasn’t ceased since.
Ava traveled to San Francisco to present cancer research she conducted at Morgridge to world-class researchers and scientists at an international research conference for optics and photonics, called SPIE.
Ava graduated from a youth apprenticeship program through DeForest High School, working as a pre-collegiate researcher studying alongside cancer scien-
Ava still works in the lab and is pursuing a biology degree at UW-Madison. Eventually, she would like to become a physician or oncologist. n
A PRODUCT OF BIZTIMES MEDIA