Scattered Pieces, Missing Picture

When I joined High Sierra AHEC as Program Manager this March, I arrived with a question that stayed with me: How do we make healthcare careers feel attainable for students who have never seen themselves in those roles before?

Over my first two months, I've watched High Sierra AHEC answer that exact question through action: KidsU bringing healthcare careers to elementary schoolers, middle and high school students experiencing a day in the life of an EMT through VR simulations, AHEC Scholars expanding their educational and clinical outreach through Rural Outreach Clinics, Student Ambassadors leading outreach and preparing way for the Pre-Professional Health Summit, Community Health Worker certifications creating a stepping stone pathway into the field. Every connection tells students the same thing: this path is designed for you.

The Path I Almost Didn't See

I grew up as a first-generation college student. My parents made it clear from an early age that college wasn't optional and that their sacrifices wouldn’t go to waste. But knowing you're expected to go to college and knowing how to get there are completely different things.

I remember researching careers in my college prep class and trying to figure out where I fit in. At one point–thanks to Grey’s Anatomy–I wanted to be a surgeon. I liked the idea of directly helping people, of having skills that made a tangible difference, and saving people’s lives through my work. But I eventually talked myself out of it. Math felt like a completely different language. I couldn't afford school and neither could my parents, and honestly the timeline felt too long, too uncertain, and way too overwhelming. Becoming a surgeon felt like it was designed for someone whose family already understood how this all worked. I felt like an outsider.

So I redirected. Not because I stopped wanting to help people but I convinced myself I needed a different way to do it. I knew whatever I ended up doing in life, I wanted to go home at the end of the day knowing I'd made someone's life better.

When I was six, I built one of my favorite puzzles to this day—a glow-in-the-dark Great White and Hammerhead hunting for their prey. I remember being fascinated by how all these pieces could become something from nothing. How if you were patient and paid attention to how things connected, the whole picture clicks and comes together.

Figuring out my own future felt like working a puzzle without the poster to reference. I had some pieces here and there: I knew I wanted to help people and I knew that somehow I would go to college but I just couldn't see how they all fit together.

Why Program Management

What I've realized is that program management lets me help more people than direct patient care ever could. Instead of one patient at a time, I build systems that reach hundreds or thousands of students. Students being told they're going to college but not shown how. Students who want healthcare careers but don't see themselves in those roles. Students who are completely capable but have learned to see certain paths as off-limits or for other people.

That student wondering if healthcare is really for people like them? I was that student. Now I help build the picture on the puzzle box. And I truly love this work because I get to see how everything connects and aligns. K-12 pathway programs, Student Ambassadors, AHEC Scholars, community partnerships, grant funding, data tracking—all of it has to work seamlessly together for a student to actually move from "I'm interested in healthcare" to "I'm practicing in Nevada." When one piece doesn't connect right, students fall through the cracks.

What I'm Learning (and What I'm Working On)

What's stood out to me most in these first two months is how deliberate everything is. A student at Health Care Heroes Camp in fifth grade can become a Student Ambassador interested since high school, then an AHEC Scholar in college, then go on to work as a healthcare professional in rural Nevada. That doesn't happen by accident or by waving a magic wand. That takes years of consistent programming, a strong foundation, and making sure students don't get lost in transitions.

Notably, something I'm already seeing—you need more than good programs to make that work come to light. You need mission-aligned partnerships. You need systems that actually track students over time. You need to be able to adapt when community needs shift–especially in the non-profit sector. I'm still learning all the pieces, but I'm starting to see where the gaps are and where we can strengthen connections.

I understand this because I've seen what happens when those connections aren't there. Students move from middle school to high school and suddenly there's no one checking in on them. The path from "interested" to "enrolled" has gaps nobody's filling. The support that could've changed everything just wasn't there when it mattered. So that's what I'm focused on. How do we make sure students don't get lost between programs? How do we show funders the actual impact we're having? How do we grow our partnerships without spreading ourselves too thin?

These aren't just questions I'm thinking about. This is what I'm working on every day.

What Students Deserve

I'm also spending a lot of time thinking strategically about operations. I know that sounds boring to some people, but here's why it matters to me: these students deserve systems that actually work and show up for them. They deserve systems and processes that make sense and don't create unnecessary barriers.

Having a good vision doesn't mean anything if we can't execute it. And execution isn't just about being efficient—it's about respect and accountability. These students are working incredibly hard and oftentimes navigating a new world. Our systems and programs need to work harder and think ahead for these students.

Moving Forward

Nevada has a real problem. We don’t have enough healthcare providers, especially in rural areas leading to huge gaps in who has access to quality and life-saving healthcare. High Sierra AHEC isn't sitting around waiting for someone else to fix it. We're building the solutions, one student, one partnership, and one program at a time.

I came to High Sierra AHEC because I believe you can change lives through early intervention and sticking with people throughout their journey. Now, I'm watching it happen and I'm committed to making sure we keep scaling this impact.

To everyone supporting this mission—partners, funders, educators, community members—thank you. You're making possible the pathway I wish had been clearer when I was trying to figure out my future. That pathway exists now for thousands of students in Nevada.

To the current and future students in our programs: you belong here. The barriers you're facing are real, but they don't have to be permanent. We're here. The pathway is real. And we're walking it with you because a lot of us have been exactly where you are.

Whatever you're dreaming about—surgeon, nurse, community health worker, program manager, or even something we haven't even heard of yet—it's valid, it’s possible, and you are worth it.