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Around 650 Grade 7 and 8 students attended a Health and Wellness Fair at Lambton College on Tuesday.
It featured around a dozen activities and displays, organized by Lambton students in the nursing, pharmacy, child & youth, and paramedic programs.
Manager of College Access Programs Sandy Boldt said the event, put on by the School College Work Initiative, gives students an idea of how they can transition from high school to a postsecondary education.
“So our goal is to get students into our college and thinking about what postsecondary education and opportunities look like, to kind of see if they’re interested in health or community services fields.”
(From left to right) Eric Ostojic, Justine Cicchini and Sandy Boldt with Lambton College. 15 November 2022. (Photo by SarniaNewsToday.ca.)
Boldt said they have some pretty phenomenal health programs at Lambton College, including the new four-year nursing program which begins this fall.
“We have practical nursing, we have PSW, we have paramedic, pharmacy, occupational physical therapy, and we have this amazing new space full of simulation labs with the most updated technology for them to learn on.”
Mekenzie Van Bynen is a second year paramedic student. She was showing the young students some basic CPR techniques during Tuesday’s fair.
“Some were surprised, some were shocked. They were a little shy at first but our students out here are really good at integrating in the community and communicating with all levels, so I think we got them to the point where they’re quite immersive with us and I think they were having a good time.”
Van Bynen also shared what it’s like to be a paramedic.
“It’s a super rewarding career, there’s lots to learn and it’s a great way to serve your community. The program here is fantastic, the faculty are super eager to help you succeed, and it’s very good for team building, just encouraging your skills and development.”
Grade 8 student Lochlan Kennedy took part in the CPR demonstration.
“And I did it perfectly, I did everything right, so I might look into that.”
Kennedy also had a message for the public following the event.
“Stay healthy, don’t smoke, don’t do drugs.”
Mackenzie Mason, another Grade 8 student, said she was really interested in a display discussing the dangers of smoking and its connection to diabetes. She also said she missed having these kind of school trips over the past few years.
“I hated online school, my grades went down, I’m going to be honest — not a lot of motivation,” said Mason. “But being back in school and being able to come out here and do this stuff and see all of the opportunities, it’s really nice.”
It’s the first time the college has hosted the event since 2019.
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