A unique opportunity is unfolding for high school students in Schenectady. Through the Youth Summer Employment Program, young minds like Rae Smith, an eleventh-grader from Schenectady High School, are embarking on a journey of discovery within the realm of medical sciences.

With access to Ellis Medicine's campus, students are delving into a diverse range of medical careers, igniting curiosity and paving the way for future aspirations.

"We came down and saw the laboratory. We saw some blood, some cancer cells," Rae Smith recalls, reflecting on her firsthand experience in a medical setting, a rarity for most eleventh-graders.

The initiative fosters exploration by offering a hands-on glimpse into the multifaceted world of medicine. In a recent interview, Smith emphasized the significance of the exposure.

"The experience is good because sometimes you might get your hands on it if it's eligible, if it's not a school to learn about it," Smith said. "And it's new things that open up your mind, and you get to see it in a different creative way than how it's presented."

The program, powered by a collaboration between Ellis Promise and Schenectady County Connects, extends beyond a mere job opportunity. A job fair held earlier this summer served as a gateway for students to envision an array of medical paths, from those requiring a college degree to careers that do not.

Jaylene Adams, a senior at Schenectady High School, shared her excitement.

"People tell me you can you can work here and you have to be 18. Yet if you finish high school, you can go higher, higher and find a career here. And that's the most exciting thing to me," she said.

Danielle Mitchell, senior employment and training counselor at Schenectady County Connects, emphasized the program isn't about dictating whether everyone should attend college.

"Our role is to expose students to different careers, opening their minds to various paths, and that's exactly what Ellis Hospital is achieving," Mitchell said.

Beyond its educational aspect, the collaboration offers professional preparation services, including resume building, job coaching and more.

"We spend a full day each week at Schenectady High, assisting students with resume development, interview skills, elevator pitches, and helping them apply for job opportunities," says Mitchell.

Christian Cheefoon, Community Recruitment Coordinator of the Ellis Promise Program, added the program aims to "establish a pipeline for students in eleventh, twelfth grade and even tenth grade to join Ellis and work here."

Participating students are granted access to explore a multitude of roles, spanning from the laboratory to surgical technologies, patient care, nursing and more.

"I wanted to start off as a tech because I'm not squeamish, you know, and, like, I might as well work here because at home I'm doing the same thing," explained Jaylene Adams, echoing the practicality and resonance that the program has in her life.

Rae Smith, highlighting her experience, said, "We got to watch the equipment that they use upstairs in the O.R. That's another part I enjoyed was the O.R., because we got to see how it works."

The initiative, aligned with the state Department of Labor's Career Jumpstart program, encourages students to spend their summers formulating their future. Its holistic approach not only serves as an educational tool, but also as a stepping stone for young careers, impacting both individual trajectories and the local community.

"Our goal is to create a stepping stone for their careers and involve them in something local and close to home, something they can call their own, while also making a meaningful impact," said Cheefoon.

As students like Adams find personal connections to the institutions, the program's success is not only evident in career development but also in forging a lifelong bond between youth and their community.

The state Department of Labor underscores that early career development empowers young New Yorkers, leading to less student debt, more fulfilling careers, self-sufficiency, and a skilled workforce for the economy. In Schenectady, the seeds of empowerment are sown as these young minds shape their dreams and stride toward a future they've actively cultivated.