Lauren Kent Math and Science Major Travels to Africa See her story on page 4

Jefferson has several transfer agreements with upper division colleges specializing in healthcare careers, including Upstate Medical
University, Syracuse. This arrangement allows students <strong>to</strong> meet prerequisite course requirements <strong>and</strong> earn their associates degree at
JCC, <strong>and</strong> then complete their junior <strong>and</strong> senior years in a bachelor’s degree program.
Ms. DeBona earned <strong>her</strong> associate’s degree in mathematics <strong>and</strong> science, with a concentration in allied health, in 2011. She then transferred
<strong>to</strong> Upstate Medical University, w<strong>her</strong>e she received a bachelor’s degree in radiation t<strong>her</strong>apy in 2013.
After working per diem at Mohawk Valley Radiation Medicine in Rome for several months, she obtained a full time radiation t<strong>her</strong>apist
position at Upstate Medical University. It was during that time she decided <strong>to</strong> furt<strong>her</strong> <strong>her</strong> education again. Ms. DeBona completed
some additional classes <strong>and</strong> was accepted in<strong>to</strong> Upstate’s Physician Assistant Program. She resigned from <strong>her</strong> position at the Syracuse
hospital in May 2015 <strong>to</strong> attend school full time, <strong>and</strong> plans <strong>to</strong> graduate in May 2017 with <strong>her</strong> Master of <strong>Science</strong> Degree in Physician
Assistant Studies.
Mr. Sawyer graduated from Copenhagen Central School in 2008 <strong>and</strong> earned his associate’s degree in mathematics <strong>and</strong> science in 2010
from Jefferson. “At that time Upstate Medical University had a distance learning partnership with JCC, so I was able <strong>to</strong> get my bachelors
of science in respira<strong>to</strong>ry t<strong>her</strong>apy attending classes at JCC’s campus as well as Upstate Medical’s campus,” he said. “I also decided
<strong>to</strong> enroll at JCC because it was affordable <strong>and</strong> close <strong>to</strong> home.” JCC professors “were always t<strong>her</strong>e for guidance <strong>and</strong> questions” <strong>to</strong> assure
that he would meet the prerequisite requirements for Upstate’s respira<strong>to</strong>ry t<strong>her</strong>apy program, he said.
Mr. Sawyer graduated from Upstate Medical University in 2012. After graduation, he began working per diem at Oswego Hospital as a
respira<strong>to</strong>ry t<strong>her</strong>apist. After a year, he <strong>to</strong>ok a position working part time as a respira<strong>to</strong>ry t<strong>her</strong>apist at Samaritan Medical Center.
Jillian Young
After graduating from Immaculate Heart Central School in 2010, Jillian
Young considered pursuing a variety of careers in the healthcare field. “I
initially wanted <strong>to</strong> be a pharmacist,” she said. “But I really wanted something
with more patient contact.” Shortly after beginning <strong>her</strong> coursework
in JCC’s mathematics <strong>and</strong> science program, with a concentration in allied
health, Ms. Young decided <strong>to</strong> study nursing <strong>and</strong> was admitted in<strong>to</strong> the
college’s nursing degree program of which she graduated in 2013. “The
professors in the program are very encouraging, they really want <strong>to</strong>
make sure their students succeed,” she said.
It wasn’t just the textbook preparation, but also the clinical rotations performed
by JCC students at Samaritan Medical Center that helped <strong>to</strong> best
prepare Ms. Young. “The rigor of the program prepared you for real life,
including the various trials that you experience as a new nurse,” she said. Pho<strong>to</strong> courtesy of AFM Pho<strong>to</strong>graphy
The rotations also helped <strong>to</strong> determine what type of specialized care
Jillian felt most passionate about. “As soon as I worked on the maternity floor, I knew that’s w<strong>her</strong>e I wanted <strong>to</strong> be,” she said. “I wanted
<strong>to</strong> work as a labor <strong>and</strong> delivery nurse.” After graduating from Jefferson, Ms. Young began working in maternity at Samaritan Medical
Center.
Taking <strong>her</strong> education <strong>to</strong> the next level, Jillian anticipates completing <strong>her</strong> bachelor’s degree in nursing from Utica College in May. The
following fall, she plans <strong>to</strong> transfer <strong>to</strong> Upstate Medical University’s Family Nurse Practitioner Program (specializing in women’s health)
<strong>to</strong> begin <strong>her</strong> master’s degree. Many of the classes, however, are offered on JCC’s campus through the Jefferson Hig<strong>her</strong> Education Center,
subsequently Ms. Young will be able <strong>to</strong> continue <strong>to</strong> live <strong>and</strong> work in Water<strong>to</strong>wn.
This semester, Ms. Young stepped in<strong>to</strong> a different realm of nursing as an adjunct clinical instruc<strong>to</strong>r under the direction of JCC faculty.
She currently works with a group of students once a week in <strong>her</strong> specialty area, covering <strong>to</strong>pics such as labor <strong>and</strong> delivery, neonatal
intensive care unit, <strong>and</strong> the newborn nursery. “It’s a wonderful experience <strong>to</strong> first give back <strong>to</strong> my alma mater, <strong>and</strong> secondly do something
that is in a different realm of nursing, <strong>and</strong> it’s also wonderful for me <strong>to</strong> share what I have learned since I became a registered
nurse,” she said.
Jefferson Insider - Volume 14 • 16