New Vision Students Graduate from Program

SARANAC LAKE - Before friends, family and supporters, 13 area high school students graduated from the New Vision program on June 11 during a packed ceremony held in the Redfield Board Room at Adirondack Medical Center in Saranac Lake.

In addition to graduating from the program, four of the students received a combined $4,000 in scholarship funds from the Saranac Lake Voluntary Health Association.  This local health care organization is over 110 years old, and currently offers a visiting nurse program, covers the costs associated with providing a dental hygienist to the Saranac Lake School District, facilitates care and payment for special medical or dental needs, provides financial assistance for hearing aids, and loans medical equipment to people in need. 

This was the second year of awarding scholarships to students planning to pursue careers in health care.  The recipients of the $1,000 individual scholarships were Rhonwen Jones (SL), Maya Correll (SL), Kelsie Amell (TL) and Jennifer Peryea (SL).

The students also found a way to give back to AMC.  As part of fundraising efforts to pay for a class trip to Boston, the students had enough money leftover to donate $100 to both North Country Life Flight and the AMC Foundation.

This year's graduating class included nine students from Saranac Lake, two from Tupper Lake and two from Lake Placid. The graduating class included Mallory Cotter (SL), Maggie Nester (SL), David Snyder (SL), Vince Magro (SL), Cameron Barry (LP), Tayler Kenniston (TL), Maggie Tracy (SL), Rhonwen Jones (SL), Kelly Keough (SL), Jennifer Peryea (SL), Kelsie Amell (TL), Maya Correll (SL) and Elise Mellor (LP).

The New Vision program, now in its seventh year of existence at AMC, offers high school seniors the opportunity to gain on-site hospital experience and learn about health care careers. The students meet in the New Vision classroom in the LaTour Building adjacent to AMC, and interact with staff and hospital personnel who take time to explain and teach the students about health care careers and assist them as they pursue their college education.

The students rotate throughout different areas of the hospital including the emergency department, cancer center, intensive care unit, medical imaging, rehabilitation services, administration, pharmacy, laboratory, surgical and nursing services.

The staff at AMC works hard to make this experience not only educational for the students, but also unique and engaging. For example, the individual clinical areas have developed activities and information that they share with the students, such as proper preparation of IV medications in the pharmacy.

The requirements to attend the class are quite demanding: Students must demonstrate above average written and verbal skills, they must have completed three years of science and three years of math, they must be recommended by their high school guidance counselor and principal and they must meet health standards for working in hospital settings.

Upon completion of the program, participating students will have secured 13 credit hours from North Country Community College, which are transferable. Program Instructor Alison Riley-Clark noted that a majority of the students from the New Vision Program have gone on to four-year college programs with the intent of pursuing a health care career.

New Vision is a division of the Adirondack Educational Center and the Board of Cooperative Educational Services Sole Supervisory District of Franklin, Essex and Hamilton Counties (BOCES). For more information, contact Riley-Clark at 897-2207.

 
CAPTION 1:   The recipients of this year's Saranac Lake Voluntary Health Association Scholarships were
Rhonwen Jones, Maya Correll, Kelsie Amell and Jennifer Peryea.  Mark Simkins, an AMC Pharmacist and Vice President
of the association, presented each of the students with a $1,000 scholarship

 
CAPTION 2:  This year's New Vision graduates are (back row, left to right) Mallory Cotter, Maggie Nester, David Snyder, Vince Magro, Cameron Barry, Tayler Kenniston, Maggie Tracy, Alison Riley-Clark, Instructor;
(front row, left to right) Rhonda Meserole, Instructor; Rhonwen Jones, Kelly Keough,
Jennifer Peryea, Kelsie Amell, Maya Correll and Elise Mellor.

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