PC Pathfinder Camp Sets High Schoolers Up for Career Sucess

ABERDEEN, S.D. – So often college students choose an area of study, take intro classes for that major, and then get real-life work experience in their field later on. But Presentation College shakes up that traditional order with their PC Pathfinder Camp, giving high school students the opportunity to be immersed in at least eight healthcare professions before they even get to their first year of college.

The purpose of the camp is just like the name implies: to help students get on their ideal career path right away, so they can avoid having to switch majors and can instead take the classes that are the most meaningful to them from day one. Sometimes students know they want to work in healthcare, but aren’t aware of the whole gamut of possibilities they can study. Trisha Waldman, associate dean of health and science at PC, explains, “Students get to see the different healthcare programs and find out what their interests are, and they are introduced to programs that they might not have even realized were options.”

During the three-day camp, sophomores, juniors, and seniors spend part of the time touring healthcare facilities and hearing from a panel of healthcare professionals. The rest of the time is dedicated to hands-on experiences in several fields, including nursing, exercise science, human services, psychology, radiologic technology, biology with a pre-med focus, and healthcare administration. PC faculty from each of these areas work directly with the students, teaching them skills and even guiding them through mock healthcare simulations. The camp also gives students a chance to experience college life. They get to interact and eat meals with PC’s faculty and stay at PC’s student suites.// — Jenny Roth

PC Pathfinder Camp takes place June 22-25, 2020. The cost is $100 and includes lodging, meals, learning, and one college credit toward an Intro to Health Occupations class. Registration is open now at mypc.presentation.edu/pcpathfinder.