06-03-2025
High school students attend Aspirations in Medicine and Healthcare Initiatives program
Mar. 6—When you think about careers in health care, you might name doctors and nurses, lab workers and respiratory therapists — but don't forget security officers and a dog like Jäger.
Accompanied by his handler, Karri Dodson, the German shorthaired pointer showed off his skills Wednesday during an Aspirations in Medicine and Healthcare Initiatives (AiM HI) program, which was sponsored by Geisinger, held in Wilkes University's Stark Learning Center, and attended by about 90 high school students.
Jäger and Dodson momentarily stepped out of a classroom, giving Dodson's colleague, Darrin Bidwell enough time to hide a small amount of a substance that can be used in explosives.
When the dog returned, Dodson told him to sweep the room, and he immediately began sniffing the whiteboards, the door handles, the areas between the rows of chairs ... until he zeroed in on the hidden item, which Bidwell had attached to a wall.
"Good boy, good boy, good boy," Dodson praised the dog, bringing out a toy that Jäger recognizes as a signal that he doesn't have to work at the moment. Now it's OK to play and socialize. That meant the high school students had a chance to pet him and toss the toy for him to fetch.
Students who took part in the AiM Hi program hailed from Dallas, North Pocono, Greater Nanticoke, Holy Cross, MMI Prep, Susquehanna CTC, Abington Heights, Wyoming Valley West, Wilkes-Barre Area and Riverside school districts. They broke into groups Wednesday morning and visited various classrooms to interact with Geisinger staffers who represented laboratory sciences, nursing, security services, respiratory therapy and health care administration.
"This really helps them make educated decisions," Joseph DeGrazia, a counselor who accompanied students from Holy Cross High School in Dunmore, said after watching students examine pig lungs in the classroom devoted to respiratory therapy.
In that room, students also intubated a mannequin and tried on a therapeutic vest that helps patients with cystic fibrosis breathe better.
"It felt like being wrapped up in a pillow," MMI student Cedrah Abdulrahman said after wearing the vest for a minute or two.
While some students said they are unsure about future career plans, some have definite ideas.
Simon Matore from Holy Cross High School, for example, knows he's interested in immunology. Olivia Galella from Susquehanna County CTC has set her sights on becoming a cardiac stenographer. And Laci Ayotte, also from Susquehanna County CTC, said "I want to go into labor and delivery." She's been leaning toward becoming a nurse/midwife ever since, at age 9, she welcomed a new baby sister.
"I love seeing families so happy," she said.
