About one year ago, we kicked off our partnership with Northwell Health which continues to grow through one-on-one mentorships and opportunities for students to learn more about the healthcare industry.
Twenty-five SSP mentors and counting come from our partnership with Northwell. Surveys show that nearly 32% of current SSP students are interested in healthcare and science. This partnership is among SSP's efforts to diversify the industries students have access to, aiming to broaden their understanding of how much they can achieve beyond high school.
This month, SSP students met with Northwell to learn about the many ways their futures could be linked to the medical field. Panelists Grace Mulholland, Assistant Nurse Manager, Cardiothoracic Intensive Care Unit; Meghan McBrien, Registered Nurse; Kristen Dagley, Nurse Manager, Medical Intensive Care Unit; Josanne Beharrykeith, Patient Care Associate; Meghan Torres, Supervisor, Advanced Clinical Providers & Physician Assistant, Cardiothoracic Surgery; and Jarrod Cole, Physician Assistant, Cardiothoracic Surgery, discussed their roles, answered students' questions, and walked us through their day-in-the-life of a healthcare worker.
Perhaps the largest message throughout the panel was that of hope, persistence, and collective wisdom. Jarrod Cole emphasized how important it is to set goals and take the inevitable roadblocks for what they are: inevitable. He said, "don't take the defeat."
Hailey, an SSP freshman, asked if there is a specific mindset that helps people in the medical field succeed. Meghan Torres shared her insight, saying, "You're the maker of your future . . . your mindset needs to be that you can do it – because you can." Kristen Dagley, reminded students that "challenges and mistakes that you overcome will make you great." Kristen also highlighted the importance of asking for help and functioning as a collective team: "what I love about my job is, when something rattles us, we talk it though and we learn from it together."
SSP looks forward to recognizing our partnership with Northwell Health and the incredible healthcare heroes who dedicate their time as mentors and volunteers at our Annual Founder's Dinner on Thursday, June 2 at The Pierre in New York!
