Two Early College and Career Center students studying health science are already making a significant dent in their college studies and career opportunities.

Chloe Frederick and Jackson Abel each have earned four different certifications related to health science at EC3 — the most earned by any student in the pathway.

They each have earned their state registered nurse assistant license, phlebotomy license, pharmacy license and EKG license. All of them are 12-week courses, except for the pharmacy license which is 24 weeks.

Megan O’Daniel, a health science instructor at EC3, said on average, health science pathway students typically earn two to three certifications. She has taught several of the classes that the two of them have been in.

O’Daniel said six students in the pathway were able to work in co-ops this year. Currently, both of them have been working at Walgreens around the area since December. They also both worked at COVID-19 testing sites for Hardin County Schools. Abel also worked previously at a nursing home.

Frederick’s goal is to work in nursing, a goal she has had since she was 12 years old. At a young age, Frederick had taken care of her sick grandfather. In fifth grade, her father was diagnosed with cancer, and she would also help take care of him.

When her father passed away, Frederick decided that healthcare, specifically nursing, is what she wanted to do.

“I wanted to be a nurse that … help the patients like they helped my dad,” Frederick said.

Abel also said he’s interested in healthcare because it’s ultimately to help others. He cited his sister who is disabled and has health issues, which is how he became interested in the career field in the first place.

The both of them said that their instructors have also helped to properly teach and guide them through the different classes which led them to pass the certifications.

“I’m really grateful to have EC3 because I know people don’t have opportunities like we do,” Frederick said.

Monica Hall, a health science teacher at EC3, had the two students in her class when they were juniors, and has Frederick currently in the advanced nursing assistant class.

In advanced nursing assistant, students are allowed to go to Baptist Health Hardin and shadow other nurses.

Hall said in the past, they have had students complete the four pathways, but they weren’t all successful on all four certifications.

“I tell students anything that you can gain while you’re here at the high-school level is just going to help you be successful,” Hall said.

Certifications can also open one up to different job opportunities if an original job doesn’t work out. These classes and tests are free. Hall said these pathways can help high school students prepare for what college is like.

They both said that the pharmacy test was the most difficult one, and was the only test they took at Elizabethtown Community and Technical College.

“I ended up taking it and I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m crazy for taking this,’ ” Abel said about the difficulty of the pharmacy pathway and certification.

Frederick said she has talked with co-workers at Walgreens who have been working there for a number of years, but have yet to take the certification test due to its difficulty.

O’Daniel is also an adjunct professor at ECTC for the nursing program, and said she has talked with former students in college who feel their work isn’t as difficult as someone who didn’t have a career pathway in high school going right into healthcare classes.

Currently, Abel is working on possibly earning his fifth certification in medical administrative assistance.

“They have majorly jumped through some hurdles and and persevered. So it’s a big accomplishment,” Hall said.

Frederick decided recently that she’ll be going to the University of Kentucky for their nursing program.

Abel is going to be in the Air Force after high school, and is planning on pursuing some kind of medical career afterwards.

Andrew Harp can be reached at 270-505-1414 or aharp@thenewsenterprise.com.