Hunterdon ESL Students Inspired About Careers in Healthcare

Income and education are two building blocks for a healthier community. Opportunities to receive a quality education can lead to a stable job offering enough income to support a family through retirement. Hunterdon County has historically been known as wealthy and healthy, yet a number of social and economic factors have led to growing health disparities in our community.

Through its Latino Healthcare Access Committee, United Way of Hunterdon County, a member of the Hunterdon County Partnership for Health, spearheaded the development of a unique, hands-on information session and tour of Hunterdon Healthcare’s facilities for Hunterdon Central Regional High School’s English as a Second Language (ESL) students.

Students visited a range of departments and learned about the educational paths that would lead them to careers in a variety of healthcare fields, including Nutrition Services, Laboratory, Imaging and Nursing. Drs. Cindy Barter, Dario Lecusay Jr. and Maria Chavez-Santos shared their experiences that led them to become physicians.

During a discussion of the challenges faced by students whose primary language isn’t English, Dr. Lecusay Jr. encouraged the youth to “study hard because everybody has obstacles in their lives.”

The students found the visit informative and inspirational.

“What I really liked was hearing the adults’ experiences, because some of them are like us – an example that we can do it too,” commented Hunterdon Central junior, Margie.

Learn more about the Hunterdon County Partnership for Health and follow our coalition’s progress by emailing Kim Blanda at kblanda@hhsnj.org

United Way of Hunterdon County is working to advance the common good by focusing on income, health and education. For more information about United Way of Hunterdon County, visit www.uwhunterdon.org or follow them on Facebook and Twitter. Great things happen when we LIVE UNITED.

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