WHS Health Science Program Receives Grant
The Tri-County Health Alliance (Tri-County) has provided Waller High School (WHS) with a generous grant for the Certified Nurse Aide (CNA) program. Tri-County Executive Director Ann Marie Paradowski presented the CNA program with a donation of $3,300 to purchase hospital bedside tables and a new practice mannequin. Tri-County was created to help the health needs of Tomball, Magnolia, Waller, and surrounding communities. A part of their mission is supporting health and wellness initiatives in the area such as school health science programs.
“Tri-County Health Alliance has been so generous to our Career and Technical Education (CTE) Health Science programs over the past few years,” CTE Director Shelly Elizalde said. “They have made a huge impact on our programs and the lives of our students.”
Each year, Elizalde submits a grant proposal based on the needs of teachers and programs. This is the third grant Tri-County has given to WHS’ CTE Health Science programs. In 2018, they donated $12,792 to aid in the creation of the Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) program and purchase of a hospital bed for the CNA lab. In 2019, they gave $18,523 for the EMT program for an ECG machine and IV practice mannequins. Including this year’s grant, Tri-County has donated over $34,000 toward the education of WHS students.
“Students are better prepared for careers in the health science field by having high school CTE programs with state-of-the-art equipment to hone their skills,” Elizalde said. “We are forever grateful for Tri-County Health Alliance’s hard work and generosity.”
WHS’ CNA program was first offered in the 2000-2001 school year with only four students enrolled. Now the program has 38 students and for the first year, has expanded to offer two classes. The program has been led by Instructor Linda Mills since it first began with the aid of Linda Riemer. To enter the program students have to follow the Health Science Career Pathway and go through an application process that evaluates student grades, attendance, and discipline. Once students graduate, they become certified in professional rescuer CPR and Certified Nurse Aide.