By admin 
TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) – A dozen Cholla High seniors have jobs lined up before they even walk across the graduation stage.
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The students earned professional certifications through the school’s sports medicine program.
Instructor Dr. Maritza Diaz-Collazo was able to bring Carondelet Health Network recruiters to campus for the first time to interview students.
Diaz-Collazo said many students want to go into medicine but don’t know how.
“So basically, I just kind of gave them the road map, and they did all the work,” Diaz-Collazo said.
She helped seniors earn professional certifications before graduation. The class started with 52 students in fall, but only 12 earned professional certificates.
Senior Jerry Mendoza earned credentials as a physical therapy technician and a patient care technician. He says he’s also certified in OSHA, stroke patients, and CPR.
Jorge Salas, St. Mary’s Hospital chief nursing officer, said the goal is to invest in the new generation.
“The goal is to kind of invest in our new generation and the young folks that eventually will replace us,” Salas said.
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Salas also said he started his own career at 17, right out of high school.
“I have a personal connection with this program because now I’m here running a hospital as chief nursing officer, but I was one of them years ago,” Salas said.
“It’s a win-win for parents, for students, for the hospital, for our community,” Dr. Diaz-Collazo said.
Mendoza said his new job will subsidize college this fall and help him earn a living at the same time.
“It’s not going to be a burden on my parents because no one wants to be a burden on their parents, obviously. So, it’s going to be major, and it’s going to be a blessing for me to be able to provide for myself,” Mendoza said.
Students can enroll this fall in the Cholla High sports medicine program.
Isabela Lisco is a Report for America corpsmember covering education solutions for 13 News. Her position is made possible through funding from Report for America and the Arizona Local News Foundation’s Arizona Community Collaborative Fund.
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