BY Citlalli Godinez
Staff Reporter
Sacred Heart University launched an anatomy program for high school students this past July. The program is anticipated to continue in the summer of 2020.
“The goal of the program is to try to expose young interested high school students to a little bit more detailed anatomy and some of the new educational technology. Students here get an experience of what college is like,” said Professor Marilyn Moss of the Biology Department.
The program took place in the university’s Center for Healthcare Education (CHE).
“We have a lot to offer at Sacred Heart in terms of the CHE with the latest technology, we also have space to accommodate students who are interested,” said Moss.
The 22 high school students from New York and Connecticut were able to get a sense of what the University has to offer and a head start to their nursing career.
“It’ll make it easier for them when they have to take anatomy in college and prepare them more,” said junior Danielle Koster who is a nursing student.
The students, who attend the program, are dedicated specifically to the study of the cardiovascular and nervous systems.
“During the week-long program, students learn and are certified in CPR, practice clinical skills on high tech mannequins, as well as each other, learn to use the life-size computerized human anatomy Anatomage table, perform dissections, learn about cadavers and pro-sections in the Human Anatomy Lab and meet with health care providers, scientists and Sacred Heart University students,” said Moss.
For Koster, Sacred Heart University best fit her major and fulfilled her aspirations of becoming a nurse.
“Sacred Heart was building its new center for healthcare. The amenities they were planning to build looked so beneficial for a nursing student,” said Koster.
A newly renovated healthcare center provides students with the newest technology, real-life nursing scenarios, and labs nursing students will encounter in their near future.
“The lab and skills lab have so much technology and equipment for us students to use and learn. We are able to get as real as possible scenarios so that when we graduate we will be fully prepared,” said Koster.
The university reached out to educators to inform them about the program for high school students.
According to Sacred Heart’s September news stories, “Biology clubs, science coordinators and organizations throughout Connecticut were contacted to gage interest in the program, which focused mostly on cardiovascular disease. Students were required to have baseline knowledge of biology, so they could understand the subjects being discussed.”
Although it is unknown whether or not the 2020 program will be an expansion to July’s program, the university is in the midst of trying to find financial support for those who do not have the means to do so.
“A meeting with Dean Jody Bortone, Associate Dean CHP, on Oct 10, will be taking place to try to raise some scholarship funding, some kind of funding for those students who need financial support,” said Moss.
The program is striving to give opportunities to high school students.
“Financial aid is important because it gives students more opportunities to enhance their learning,” said junior nursing student Kayla Santos.
Aside from financial aid, a jump start on what college will be like is also a goal of the program.
“You’re going into college well prepared that way you don’t get blindsided by what college brings to the table,” said junior Alexandra Lombardo.
Financial aid is relevant to expanding the program to more students.
“We are trying to find some way to fund more students that could really benefit from this program,” said Moss.
The anatomy program was developed by Marilyn Moss and taught by Professor Nicole Chiravuri, an adjunct in the Department of Biology.
