When choosing a career, at first junior Kennadee Sawan was unsure. After hearing of CVCC and the different programs it offered, she wanted to give the Health Careers program a try. Now, she is her class student president and CVCC chose her as student of the month.

Sawan is also involved at Revere by competing in both indoor and outdoor track, as well as cross country. Additionally, she works at an assisted living facility helping senior citizens. 

Sawan’s teacher at CVCC picked her to interview for CVCC student of the month.

“I’m the president of my health careers class, so my teachers were interviewing some people for CVCC student of the month and she chose me,” Sawan said.  

In the Health Careers program, Sawan takes various classes in different aspects of the medical field.

“We learn health science technology, and we also learn medical terminology. I’m also taking an anatomy and physiology class. The main thing we’re learning is nursing,” Sawan said. 

Being a career center, CVCC has a path to certification embedded within the Health Careers program.

“When I graduate, I could get my STNA, which is a state-tested nurse assistant, which is not what I want to do as a career, but that’s what you can do. Basically, this program opens up a whole bunch of medical careers you could do,” Sawan said. 

All of Sawan’s peers share the same program with her but have different sights for their future careers in the healthcare field.

“I have people in my class who are going to go into nursing and another who wants to be an anesthesiologist. There’s a wide range of things we’re learning. I want to be more hands-on, nurse practitioner sounds really fun,” Sawan said.

Sawan decided to enroll in CVCC in her sophomore year while attending Revere.

“I had no clue what I wanted to do. I’ll see if I want to do anything in the medical field, if I don’t, I can cross that off my list. It’s really interesting to me,” Sawan said. 

Part of her motivation to enroll was to meet new people who shared the same interests and career aspirations as her.

“I love all the new people, you get out of the sheltered Revere bubble,” Sawan said. 

The program is far from a traditional lecture classroom setting, featuring many opportunities for hands-on learning. For Sawan, this is part of the draw to the Health Career program.

“I like all the hands-on stuff. We’re always doing something. I’m intrigued the whole time,” Sawan said. 

When she isn’t running or taking classes, Sawan works as a server in an assisted living facility.

Balancing these different responsibilities requires organized time management, which Sawan works to maintain.

“I’ve got really good grades now. I sat down and was like ‘I need to work hard’ and I balanced it out. I wake up early, and I work really hard throughout the day so my end of the day can be more for me,” Sawan said. 

Diane Ellis teaches junior and senior students in the Health Careers program. Sawan began the two-year program in August.

“[The program] is divided into junior and senior year, the junior year, you take two courses, health science technology, which is the foundation for any health career,” Ellis said. 

In the health science technology course, students learn vital skills to build the foundations of a career in healthcare.

“We look at topics like safety and infection control, vital signs, which would be temperature, pulse, respiration and blood pressure, career pathways in healthcare,” Ellis said. 

Additionally, juniors will take a medical terminology course. Sawan also took the opportunity to take a non-required elective class.

“[Sawan] also takes an elective science class taught by an academic teacher during her junior year called anatomy and physiology. She’s pulled daily for that course,” Ellis said.

Ellis teaches the same class of students for their second year, where they will expand on their studies, as well as a path to certification.

“In the senior year, they take a class called patient-centered care and nutrition and wellness second semester. Embedded in the patient-centered care senior year is a certification for state-tested nurse assisting. It’s not a requirement, but if you jump through all the hoops and all the requirements, you could get that certification,” Ellis said.

Ellis believes that Sawan’s personality sets her apart from the average student.

“She’s a good student. She was nominated as president of my junior class by her peers. I would say she’s responsible and dependable. Her attentiveness and leadership [set her apart from her peers],” Ellis said.

In addition to coursework and an elective, Sawan takes part in a competition called HOSA: Health Occupations Students of America.

“It’s a group of students that can compete in competitions, and she’s going to be doing a public service announcement this year,” Ellis said.

The competition goes to the national level, where this year competitors will gather in Nashville. But before nationals, Sawan and her group will need to beat regionals and then state competitions. 

“She’s working with a couple of other students to do this public service announcement, and then they compete with other students. We have a region in Northeast Ohio. Whoever is in the top four gets to go to the state competition in Columbus,” Ellis said.

At Revere, Sawan competes in indoor and outdoor track, as well as cross country.

“For indoor and outdoor [track], [I’ll run] any range between the 800 and two-mile. I like longer distances better,” Sawan said. 

Kevin Somerville, the head coach for cross country and both indoor and outdoor track, has coached Sawan for two years.

“I coached her in cross country, indoor track and outdoor track too. I first met her during indoor track two years ago,” Somerville said. 

Somerville believes that Sawan’s strengths lie in her distance-running abilities.

“She’s a distance runner for us, and honestly, she’s done a great job in the 1600 and cross country. She’s done a nice job with the longer distances,” Somerville said.

Somerville notices Sawan’s personality and ability to bring her team together.

“I think she is a very serious competitor, but she also knows how to lighten the mood and have fun when we’re practicing. Even when we’re working hard, she’s really great at lifting up the team morale and making it a fun thing for everybody,” Somerville said.

Somerville understands the commitment Sawan has for her team, as well as her ability to enjoy the moment with her teammates.

“She knows the right balance, she knows when to be serious and when to work hard. She realizes that high school sports are supposed to be a lot of fun too and she helps to make that the case for our teams. I can’t emphasize enough how great of an addition to any team she is and how great her personality is,” Somerville said.

Somerville considers Sawan an excellent addition to the various teams she competes with.

“She’s a team player that contributes a lot with her work ethic, her performance, and character too. It’s a lot of fun getting to work with her,” Somerville said.

Sawan plans to continue attending CVCC next year and continue her studies in the Health Careers program.