Health careers expo helps students explore opportunities beyond medical roles

Keagan Pierce, 17, an 11th-grade student at Grandville High School and Kent Career Tech Center, is interested in pursuing a career in healthcare.

“I originally wanted to go into sonography, like ultrasound tech, and I’m still really interested in that,” she says.

Pierce’s interest led her to attend the Future Rounds Health Careers Expo, which gave students and their families opportunities to interact with professionals and learn about careers in the medical field. 

The March 18 event, held at the Kent Career Tech Center, 1655 E. Beltline Ave. NE in Grand Rapids, was hosted by the West Michigan Health Careers Council in partnership with Kent ISD.

Designed for students in grades 7-12, the event offered hands-on experiences that introduced students to a variety of medical careers.

Although she remains interested in sonography, Pierce says the expo opened her eyes to other healthcare careers.

“It was really helpful going to the event and seeing all the different opportunities, especially ones you don’t always hear about in class or when you’re looking up jobs,” she says.

“Healthcare is so vast, so being able to see all the different options in one place was really cool. You’ve got to see labor and delivery, dental, nursing homes, EMT, and EMS. Everything across the field.”

Making personal connections

In-person conversations made these options more real.

“The event was really cool. I got to talk with a bunch of different hospitals, as well as programs at different schools and colleges, which was really interesting.

“There were dental professionals there, which you wouldn’t necessarily think of when you think of healthcare, so it was really cool to talk to them and see their side of the healthcare world,” Pierce says.

The event also allowed her to network with professionals and programs in the area.

“I got to talk with the surgical tech programs and nursing programs, and I kind of built a network with different organizations here in Grand Rapids, which was really cool,” Pierce says.

Pierce attended the expo because she was asked to be a presenter. She demonstrated the Anatomage table, a 7-foot, 3-D touchscreen device for anatomy and virtual dissection that provides digitized cadavers for medical education that she learned to use in her Health Career Foundations program at KCTC.

“I showed how it works and how we use it in class. I’m also part of the anatomy club, so I was able to show students what we do, like quizzes we run,” she says.

Brad Sims, lead of the West Michigan Health Careers Council at West Michigan Works!, says students interested in healthcare careers often don’t understand the wide range of career paths available.

“The primary goal is to make students aware of what healthcare is really all about,” Sims says. “When you ask students what they think of, they usually say doctors or nurses — and often associate that with a lot of school and debt. We want them to understand that healthcare is much broader than that.

“The Future Rounds Health Careers Expo was created to bridge that gap by offering a hands-on, interactive experience that showcases what a day in the life looks like across various healthcare roles,” he says.

Interactive experiences

Sims stresses the importance of the hands-on elements. “Students could practice CPR, see medical tools, and even try procedures. That kind of engagement helps them connect with the material in a real way.”

Students received mock patient profiles outlining common conditions and treatments. Using clues from their scenarios, they navigated the expo, interacted with healthcare professionals and explored careers connected to each stage of patient care.

“We designed the event to be interactive and relatable,” Sims says. “For example, we walked students through a real-life scenario like an injury at a hockey game and showed them every role involved in that process, from athletic trainers to first responders to dental care.”

Pierce says the interactive tasks helped her learn “so much more.’

 “Medical terminology was huge — learning how to break down words and understand charting,” she says. “We also did hands-on labs, like taking vitals, learning blood pressure ranges, and practicing real healthcare skills.” 

Before attending the expo, Pierce says, she did not realize how many different careers existed within healthcare beyond becoming a nurse or doctor.

“It also helps you figure out what you do and don’t like,” she says. 

Understanding hiring practices

In addition, attendees learned about hiring processes, tuition assistance, and career pathways from local employers and organizations, including 85 West Dental, Grand Valley Surgical Center, Holland Home, Life EMS, Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital, Pine Rest, Sunset Senior Communities, Trinity Health, and University of Michigan Health-West.

Healthcare remains Michigan’s largest private-sector employer, with more than 568,000 residents working in the field in 2021. Hospitals alone employ more than 219,000 people statewide.

Sims says the industry is changing as employers become more open to training workers on-site.

“In the past, there was a heavy emphasis on certifications upfront,” he says. “Now, many employers will hire someone who is reliable and motivated, and then provide the necessary training

“That makes healthcare more accessible. Students can get started sooner and build their careers over time, with plenty of opportunities for advancement.”

The event also helped connect graduating seniors with potential employers.

“These events give students a chance to meet employers directly,” Sims says. “For seniors especially, it can open the door to entry-level roles or summer jobs.”

“We’ve also improved our follow-up by collecting contact information and helping connect students with employers afterward. That way, the experience doesn’t just end at the event. It can lead to real opportunities.”

On a career path

Krista Harmon, a workforce development consultant at Kent ISD, says the Health Careers Expo gives students “a chance to explore those possibilities in an interactive way, ask questions directly to professionals, and begin connecting what they’re learning in school to real-world opportunities.

 “We want every student to leave feeling more confident and excited about the pathways ahead.”

Pierce says the expo helped students make professional connections, set up job shadows, and explore future opportunities. She also learned about apprenticeships and programs that help pay for schooling.

“I got details on how to apply, who to contact, and what steps to take, which made navigating it a lot easier,” she says.

 Similar networking at her KCTC program helped her secure a job opportunity.

“I actually got a job because of one of our speakers, so I’m able to step into the healthcare world,” Pierce says. “It showed me that there are real opportunities for someone fresh out of high school to get into healthcare.”

The Kent Career Tech Center also allows students to earn certifications before graduating high school.

“We can earn CPR and first aid certifications, and in our second year, there are certifications like phlebotomy, patient care tech, medical assistant, pharmacy tech, and lab tech,” Pierce says.

“You can graduate high school with certifications and start working right away.”

After attending the expo, Pierce says, she has a clearer idea of her future plans.

“Next year I’ll be in a medical assistant program, either at the tech center or through (a Kent ISD CTE program at) Davenport (University), depending on availability,” Pierce says. “I’ll be able to graduate from high school with my medical assistant certification and start working in hospitals.”

Pierce encouraged students interested in healthcare to attend future expos.

“I would recommend it to anyone interested in healthcare but not sure what they want to do,” she says.

Mazonnah Holiday is a student at Northview High School in Grand Rapids, where she was involved in the school’s journalism program. She is also a student at Kent Career Tech Center, where she is studying Networking and Cybersecurity. She is both an author and a writer, with her work featured in two published books.

To learn more about Rapid Growth’s Voices of Youth project and read other installments in the series, click here. This series is made possible via underwriting sponsorships from the Steelcase Foundation, Frey Foundation, PNC Foundation, and Kent ISD.

Photos of Katrina Pierce by Tommy Allen, and photos of the health expo provided by West Michigan Works!