San Jose, CA June 22, 2010 – If you recently graduated from high school, you were thrilled to get the opportunity to throw up your cap, say farewell to high school memories and welcome the granted freedoms college living has to offer. But for the graduates of the Career Academy at O’Connor Hospital, the mere idea of graduating high school is more than they could ask for.
The Career Academy Class of 2010 celebrated their graduation at O’Connor Hospital this past May. President and Chief Executive Officer Jim Dover, Vice President of Human Resources Julie Hatcher, Career Academy teacher Christine Austin and principal Dane Caldwell-Holden were a few of the many who offered their support to the five graduates. “It was a very moving tribute to a long year for my graduating students, two of whom were a year advanced in finishing their educational commitment,” shares Austin.

The Career Academy, which first started back in 1992, provides motivation for success to many at-risk students. At-risk meaning a student is very deficient in credits needed to graduate, due to various factors such as lack of attendance and motivation and family and living difficulties. This program is a joint venture between O’Connor and the San Jose Unified School District (SJUSD), where SJUSD provides the academic teacher, all academic curricula and materials and the hospital provides a classroom, job assignments, supervision on the job and mentoring. But the Academy is much more than just an effort to combine a positive, educational learning experience with on the job training; its sole mission is to provide a new positive lifestyle to those teens that are on the verge on giving up.

“Our strong partnership with the San Jose Unified School District to offer Career Academy to at-risk students is a direct example of our core mission and values in action,” shares Vice President of Human Resources Julie Hatcher. “We want to give our community, especially at-risk teens and young adults, the opportunities and quality resources they need to succeed. We provide them a very nurturing environment that fosters self-esteem, goal setting and responsibility. This is just one of the many ways we show the community we are here for them and we care.”

Most of the Career Academy students have dreams of achieving post-secondary options, but come from inopportune backgrounds – families incarcerated or involved with drugs, excessive alcohol, gangs, or young pregnancy. Career Academy graduate Yvette Pineda-Perez grew up in a difficult environment surrounded by a high number of gangs, but still has high hopes of pursuing a career in the medical field. “Before Career Academy, I was having too many problems,” says Yvette, who had difficulty finding motivation to go to school, causing her to fall behind in classroom credits. “When I started attending Career Academy at O’Connor, I was inspired to get involved in the medical field because I like helping people. Now that I’ve graduated, I am attending the Institute for Business and Technology in Santa Clara for medical assisting. I really want to go back and hopefully get a job at O’Connor. The program and the hospital environment were really fun to be around.”

“For the ones have seen many failures in their young lives, this program really helps young people feel respected like adults. They feel a sense of importance and of belonging to our community.” shares Austin. About 400 students have attended the program since 1992 and about 16 have become full-time employees at O’Connor Hospital.

A student spends two hours working in the hospital and three hours in classes daily, Monday through Friday. In addition to the program, the hospital funds summer extended programs through grants from the O’Connor Hospital Foundation. Students are can also be eligible for scholarships, such as the San Jose City College Educational Foundation Scholarship and Kiwanis Club Turn-Around Scholarships.

“This is a tribute to O’Connor Hospital, which is giving the students such an excellent opportunity to see the medical profession up close and on a very personal level,” says Austin. “These students will further their education with a dream for a future.”