The professionals of tomorrow

How career and technical education pathways turn student passion into real-world purpose

By Student Writer - B. Zawierucha, Editor-in-Chief, The Bulldog Buzz

From future teachers to healthcare professionals, Romeo High School students are inspired by early exposure to meaningful career paths that can save lives and make a difference through the school's education and medical pathways.

​Romeo’s education pathway is designed to build a strong foundation of knowledge and real-world experience through three key classes: Child Growth and Learning, Intro to Education, and Future Educators: A Field Study Course, preparing students for future careers with confidence. As well as as Career and Technical Education course offerings. Interactive school trips at all levels, the 5th-grade mixer, and the alumni panel are standout experiences that allow students to engage directly with future educators and professionals in the field.

​"The industry tour to Washington Elementary gave the Education Pathway students an opportunity to see their creation in action; students were required to create a developmentally appropriate game, highlighting the physical, cognitive, and psychosocial skills of a child between the ages of 6-11, and then they played their game with first graders (ages between six and seven years old). The high school students were able to see the successes and limitations of their game design, and were also able to witness firsthand how the first graders interacted with them and their peers in a classroom setting," RHS Child Growth and Learning teacher Katie Burck said.

​The child growth and learning class is split into two separate semesters. One semester focuses on a child's development: physical, cognitive, and psychosocial. Semester two of this class is all about how children learn and the different ways they learn.

​Intro to Education focuses on the school system and what teachers do to prepare students. The first semester of this class focuses on establishing your classroom, the physical classroom space, planning for students, and building a teacher-student relationship. To close out this class, students learn all about lesson plans and learning planning. They begin to see themselves at the front of a classroom.

​“This specific class was special to me because I finally understood all of the things that come together when becoming a teacher. It helped me realize that I have all of the skills to become an educator in my future.” RHS Senior Lily Czarnik said.

​Romeo seniors exploring education participate in a field study, where they leave the school during the day to work in elementary, middle, or preschool classrooms. Each student works with the same class weekly, gaining hands-on teaching experience that turns their preparation into purpose.

​“Stepping into classrooms each week, my relationships with the kids grow stronger, and it just makes me realize more and more that teaching is truly what I'm meant to do,” RHS senior Alex Atkins said.

​Similarly, Romeo’s Medical Pathway is designed to build a strong foundation of medical knowledge and hands-on experience that prepares students for careers in healthcare. Throughout the program, students have opportunities to attend industry tours, participate in job shadowing experiences, complete hands-on medical training, and earn multiple certifications.

“I’ve only been in this pathway for a few months, but I truly feel like I have learned a lot and already had many opportunities to see if this is something I want to do with my life,” RHS sophomore Sylvie Jovanovski said.

​Keeping the same idea, the students are required to take Medical Science One and Two, both led by Stacey Lotternan and Kelly Sandridge. These classes focus on building essential healthcare knowledge and skills. Students learn about the structure and functions of the human body, as well as common diseases and medical conditions. In addition, they gain experience assessing patients, performing first aid and CPR, stopping bleeding in emergency situations, and more.

​“I think that these classes definitely helped me gain the knowledge necessary for college classes. I can definitely see myself using them to build off of my academic future as I hope to get into med school,” RHS senior Caroline Dorman said.

​As students wrap up their Medical Science Two class, they choose the direction they want to pursue in their senior year. They can enter the non-emergency medicine track, where they learn how to become a medical assistant, or the emergency medicine track, where they train to become an EMT. The EMT class at Romeo is taught by Mr and Mrs. Pile, who guide students through real emergency scenarios, skill practice, and certification preparation.

​By the end of senior year, students can take a certification exam in their chosen field and graduate from high school as either a certified medical assistant CMA or a certified EMT. Similar to the education pathway, seniors gain more knowledge through field study, where they can either work alongside first responders or shadow professionals in clinics and hospitals.

​“Something that really confirmed that I want to work in the medical field is working at the doctor's office, helping patients, getting to know them, and trying to find things that would make them feel better. Truthfully, I wouldn’t have gotten this job opportunity without help through the school,” RHS Senior Domenique Vaneski said.

​By stepping into classrooms as future teachers or training in medical environments as future healthcare professionals, Romeo students don’t just learn about careers, they experience them. These opportunities allow them to discover their passions, build professional skills, and graduate ready to make a meaningful impact in their communities.

Article provided by Romeo Community Schools for publication in the Macomb Daily.