“I love it!”
Those were the first words out of Cala Jackson’s mouth when being asked what she thought of the Okanagan College’s Health Care Assistant (HCA) Program. Jackson and her counterpart, Celista’s Madison Lagore, have enrolled in School District 83’s dual credit HCA program in their Grade 11 year and now will be graduating from Salmon Arm Secondary this June not just with all of their needed high school credits and dogwood certificate but will also get finish their six-month HCA certificate at Okanagan College in October. The six-month program allows people to gain the necessary skills and credentials to work in any hospital and long-term care setting tending to the basic needs of patients.
Both student have really enjoyed their two months in the program so far. “I think that labs especially are very fun,” says Canoe resident Jackson. “They give you a very good opportunity to work with each other especially when we get to be the clients. So, as HCA’s, we are getting comfortable in dealing with real clients in real life, which is really fun,” Jackson concludes.
For Legore, this experience of learning the theory and doing the practice has pieced together how life was like for her growing up. “Everything in the program is really interactive. I have lived in a care home. I have incorporated everything I experienced there with my learning now and it has been really fun so far,” says Legore.
Legore and Jackson say they are learning about different communication styles, basic body systems in anatomy and physiology, and how infections affects the body in different ways. Both says they learn something new everyday and some of that learning has blown them away. “One thing that really stuck out to me is that you can die from UTI’s (Urinary Track Infections). They can kill you if they go untreated and I found that super interesting. I don’t know why it stuck with me but your kidneys and other systems can shutdown if untreated,” Jackson learned.
The program has also been good for self-reflection as well. Both say they have grown a lot just in their first two months. “This course has really helped me find that different form of empathy,” says Jackson. “I have always felt I have been more of an empathetic person. When I started taking this course, I started thinking about dealing with people that have injuries or are sick. It starts to bring you out of yourself where you are present and putting your needs, in a healthy way, behind the care of others. I love being here because it takes your mind off of what may be troubling yourself and you just think about caring for the other person,” Jackson reflected. “I am now in work mode!”
As for Legore, she summed up how both have felt in respect to what they would tell interested students that would take this program. “It’s a great opportunity to take. The school provides it (tuition) and it’s such a good environment to learn in. Everyone is so supportive and we seem to click well with everyone in the program. It’s pretty crazy to think how much we’ve changed since high school to here, but it’s such a welcoming environment,” explained Legore.
This being said, Jackson also had a warning. “Be prepared to work! It’s a lot of work but in a good way. You are learning about many theories and testing it out in labs. I wouldn’t expected it to be any other way, honestly, as it’s a big job (being a HCA)….We are the youngest in the group and they (peers) have helped us get out of that high school way of thinking more so in thinking about life ahead, which is something we have to prepare for,” says Jackson.
Five students from Salmon Arm Secondary and AL Fortune have been accepted into the April 2025 cohort. If you or your son or daughter are interested to learn more about the program and to possibly sign up, please contact SD83 Career Education Coordinator George Richard at grichard@sd83.bc.ca or you can phone or text 778-824-1188.
SD83 Career Programs 