Most kids want to play doctor or nurse at some point in their childhood. For some, it’s a passing interest. For others, it becomes a career path they’re interested in pursuing.

But few of us know where to start or how to understand the myriad opportunities available within the healthcare field.

That’s where the Bellin College Healthcare Academy comes in, now in its third year of engaging Luxemburg-Casco High School students in exploration of careers in the healthcare field. The program additionally offers a head start on obtaining related college credits at a reduced rate, thereby mitigating future student loan debt.

Pair that with quality practical experience in a work-based healthcare environment, and you have a winner for L-C students.

“Students tell me that the Healthcare Academy has been an amazing experience for them,” says Mike Snowberry, director of learning services for the Luxemburg-Casco School District. “It is important for them to explore all of the available careers within a healthcare system – they just don’t know. The hands-on aspect of it really has helped them in making their career choices.

“More than anything, it can help students to figure out their passion.”

Beyond the traditional healthcare jobs of doctor and nurse, the field includes high-demand careers in diagnostic medical sonography – which include Imaging, radiologic sciences and radiation therapy – along with surgical assisting.

The Bellin College Healthcare Academy (HCA) began in the 2022-23 school year with 34 students from three area high schools, among them 18 students from Luxemburg-Casco. L-C subsequently had 26 students participate in the 2023-24 and 2024-25 academic years, according to High School Counselor Kurt Wolske.

This year, 17 Northeast Wisconsin high schools, representing more than 200 students, are taking courses through the HCA.

“We have seen growth in the number of schools wanting to participate in the HCA because of strong student interest in healthcare,” says Dr. Chad Dall, director of outreach and engagement for Bellin College.

Health Occupations, a career-exploration course, is offered to freshman and sophomore students at L-C. A very popular class with 2-3 sections each year, it provides an initial gauge for students of their interest level in participating in the Healthcare Academy.

The students who choose to continue on to the Healthcare Academy can earn up to 42 college credits while in high school by taking advantage of every course available through Bellin College.

Core Healthcare Career courses include Introduction to Healthcare, Customer Service in Healthcare, Medical Terminology, and Nursing Assistant. These classes are offered as asynchronous online or hybrid.

Among the Supplemental Healthcare Career courses offered to students, online, in the fall semester, are 20^th Century American History and its Impact on Health, Statistics, Diversity Issues in Healthcare, College Algebra, Developmental Psychology, and Medical Terminology. Spring semester offerings include Health Communication, Medical Ethics, Healthcare Economics, The Immigrant Experience in Modern America and its Implications for Healthcare, and World Religions.

L-C students participating in the Healthcare Academy curriculum are given the flexibility within their personal schedules to complete their online courses during study halls, according to Snowberry.

Three Science courses – Anatomy and Physiology I, Anatomy and Physiology II, and General Chemistry – must be taken in person at Bellin College. The college works with the district on the placement of those classes in student schedules.

HCA courses are transferable to most Wisconsin colleges and universities should a student later decide not to attend Bellin College or to

pursue a degree outside of the healthcare field.

A key component of Healthcare Academy participation, Snowberry says, is the opportunity for job-shadow experiences. These offer the chance for career exploration and provide students with a better idea of which classes they would like to take.

Many Healthcare Academy students apply and interview for healthcare-related internship opportunities through the district’s youth-apprenticeship program, securing high-level practical experience.

According to Jolyn Helgeson, youth apprenticeship coach based in LCHS, students this year have filled positions including nursing assistant, Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), surgical CNA, occupational assistant and resident aide. Their roles are at healthcare and therapy facilities, along with senior- and assisted-living facilities.

“The Healthcare Academy and youth apprenticeship students interested in career pathways that align with our organizational needs have been super beneficial,” says Katie Bartell, senior talent acquisition specialist for Emplify Health by Bellin/Gundersen. “We are identifying kids with a passion for helping people live their healthiest lives, and it’s helping us fill important roles across the organization.

“We have found a home for more than 150 students in the last three years. We onboard them and encourage them to learn and grow with us into the future.”

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average salary for a registered nurse in Wisconsin is $76,560 per year. Along with having two years less of college debt, Snowberry says that students who take part in the Healthcare Academy also can enter the healthcare workforce 2-3 years earlier than their peers, resulting in additional career earnings between $150K and $230K in total.

A prime example of this is Lily Derenne, a May 2024 graduate of Luxemburg-Casco High School who this year is continuing her studies at Bellin College. Between Healthcare Academy courses and dual-credit classes through Northeast Wisconsin Technical College, she had over 50 college credits at the time of her high school graduation.

Derenne expects to graduate from Bellin with a bachelor’s degree at age 20, and says that the Healthcare Academy experience for her cannot be understated.

“I think it truly has set me up for life,” says Derenne. “My whole experience was great. I feel so fortunate to have gotten this head start on my career and my life. I expect to become one of the youngest nurses ever to graduate from Bellin College.”

Along with her coursework, Derenne also received substantial practical experience while still in high school. She was employed as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) at Bellin Hospital, working on every floor as a member of the “float team,” along with obtaining her phlebotomist credentials.

Her CNA work responsibilities included a variety of patient-focused duties assigned by the registered nurses.

“The nursing staff will pull you into a room to show you things,” Derenne adds, sharing the further benefit of mentorship encompassed in her in-person healthcare work.

She also received a scholarship through work that pays for a sizable portion of her tuition at Bellin College.

The YA work experience in healthcare is a win-win, providing benefits to both the students and their employers.

“The students are very productive employees,” Snowberry shares of the feedback he and other L-C administrators have received. “They want to learn, and they also want to do a really good job in the field they are in. The organizations who have employed our students have been very happy.”

Bellin College also collaborates with area clinical agencies to enable students to shadow professionals in different healthcare fields, in addition to providing many career-focused exposure events each year.

It just goes to prove that Luxemburg-Casco students not only can dream of playing doctor or nurse, they can start on a path to doing it through participation in the Bellin College Healthcare Academy.