Lowcountry AHEC Health Careers Academy Students Visit Coastal Carolina University

Lowcountry HCA students on the Coastal Carolina

campus tour

Lowcountry AHEC Health Careers Academy (HCA) students visited Coastal Carolina University (CCU) on May 9 as an introduction to pre-health majors and campus life. Twenty diverse students from 9th through 12th grade participated in a campus tour and session facilitated by the Coastal Carolina Department of Biology.

The students took a tour of campus that introduced them to the university offerings and campus facilities. The tour ended with a lunch in the Fred W. Hicks Dining Hall. Following the tour, Associate Dean of Sciences Dr. Karen Aguirre and Shirice Lesane, a Coastal Carolina University student and AHEC Bench to Bedside participant, hosted a session that explored pre-health programs and majors, as well as opportunities available on campus. Ms. Lesane, a senior biology major from Sumter, SC, facilitated an open discussion about the college experience. During the discussion, the HCA students shared some of their career aspirations and goals. Ms. Lesane offered guiding responses from a CCU student’s perspective.
Students were also introduced to AHEC’s Bench to Bedside initiative and website, a program that will be available to them as college students. Dr. Aguirre closed the visit with a demonstration of an experiment that instructed students about the research process. Natasha Chatman, Lowcountry AHEC Health Careers program coordinator, described the day as “awesome” and shared that the students really enjoyed the experience.

For more information about the Health Careers Academy or the Bench to Bedside initiative, please visit scahec.net.

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