Teacher highlight

Dedicated teacher leads wakulla high medical academy

By DCAE Staff

Have you ever had a teacher you just loved? Did they play a role in your life that you didn’t even know you needed?

Meet the teacher we’re highlighting in April: Mrs. Kristi Lawhon. People often associate Career and Technical Education (CTE) with blue-collar work like electrical or automotive jobs, but there are so many more pathways that exist within the realm of CTE. Health Science is one of these career pathways – divided into three areas: counseling and mental health services; family and community services; and consumer services. There are hundreds of programs across the state that prepare high school and postsecondary students for rewarding careers in this diverse cluster.

Mrs. Lawhon has led the Medical Academy at Wakulla High School for the past 13 years. Prior to that, she graduated with her BSN from Florida A&M University and worked as a nurse at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital and the Wakulla Health Department. She is one of the many examples of women in CTE who have hands-on experience in the industry they teach.

“I often get asked the question, why do you teach when you could be making more money working elsewhere?” said Mrs. Lawhon. “The answer is simple. I love what I do. I love inspiring young people to reach for their dreams. I love watching the transition of meager underclassmen to mature young adults who have goals and aspirations. I have so much pride in my students when they are working in health facilities. My students are simply the best. They work hard, are not afraid to jump in, and are always respectful to others. I have previous students working in all aspects of health care... I feel blessed to be in this position and I hope that I am an inspiration to these students like they are to me.”

The focus of Wakulla High School’s Medical Academy is to integrate academic rigor with CTE. Students have clinicals in local nursing homes and nearby hospitals, and they gain hands-on experience while learning what it means to work as a team. The program is not easy, but the students have a sense of accomplishment when they finish their senior year, and the program allows them the opportunity to see what it’s like to work in health care. Students also leave high school “job-ready” and can enter the workforce as they pursue their college ambitions.

While some may choose a more traditional pathway to become a nurse or doctor, other students have the opportunity to choose a path that leads to biomedical manufacturing or research into diagnostic and laboratory technology. Students can begin to develop the skills necessary to pursue these careers in as early as ninth grade and complete their high school education with on-thejob experience that exposes them to the extensive career prospects in this area.

For more information on teacher resources and support, especially through our partners, like FACTE, please contact Niñafe Awong at Ninafe.Awong@ fldoe.org.