Sixty members of the UNMC High School Alliance are among the students taking classes at UNMC this academic year.
The students come from high schools around Omaha and take college-level classes to prepare for health careers.
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Tyler Housh |
- Name: Tyler Housh
- High school: Bennington High School
- Year: Senior
How did you get involved in the UNMC High School Alliance?
I first heard about the program when a senior from my school (who was in the HSA at the time) came into my English class to let us know about the program. I had known for quite some time that I wanted to enter the medical field one day, so the student’s talk piqued my interest.What sparked your interest in science?
I have always been profoundly fascinated by the life sciences, especially when it comes to animals. As I grew up and began to learn about the human body in school, I became enamored with it and saw myself as a health care worker. In addition, my grandmother has been a nurse for the past 43 years, so she has been an instrumental part of my decision to enter the medical field. When you add on my grandpa’s degrees in biology and chemistry and my mother’s minor in psychology, it’s really no wonder why I love science so much.What are your career aspirations?
In February of 2014, I became very sick and was hospitalized for nearly a week. During that time, an infectious disease physician diagnosed my mystery illness as a systemic Fusobacterium infection. I admired the way he solved my case, fitting puzzle pieces together in order to reach a diagnosis. It seemed that I had come to a decision — I would be an infectious disease physician. At HSA, I quickly came to love clinical laboratory science. I applied for the Rural Health Opportunities Program scholarship to Wayne State College in November and was admitted in December! Now, I am absolutely dead-set on becoming a clinical laboratory scientist.What has been the best part of your UNMC High School Alliance experience so far?
This program has given me the skill set needed to pursue a career in clinical laboratory science, which is now my passion. Through the High School Alliance program, I have learned a variety of lessons and skills which will be essential to my success in my post-secondary education and future career. I have also been exposed to countless individuals (both adults and fellow classmates) that will forever have an impact on my life and who I will never forget.