Waterford Today

A certified nursing assistant (CNA) program that has led students to seek careers in health care was a topic for discussion during a recent Pontiac School District board meeting.

The school district has run the CNA program through Covenant Academy for the past six years, with many of the graduates going on to make significant contributions in local medical centers. The program permits students to directly enter the workforce as a CNA, or prepare them for nursing or medical school.

Dr. Patricia Reeves, the nursing instructor of the program, spoke to the board about the program and how much it has grown during the three years she has been working with it.

“I'm here for the long haul to help these students,” Reeves said in the Dec. 19 meeting. “And I'm still working with some that are going to take the exam on the 30th, send up some timber for them. They're going to take it on the 30th. And when you think in odds, they're running up against people that are in their twenties and thirties and not passing.

“And these are youngsters that are really trying to show, we can do this. You give it to us, you're offering us this opportunity and we're going to make the best of it. So, thank you again, Pontiac School District, for the opportunity to serve and for the opportunity that you're giving these young people.”

Reeves recalled the first year, when they had one person who passed the state exam. This past year, she had two excel in the state exam, with one student getting a 100% in the skills portion. While that student was unable to attend, the other student who passed the exam this year was on hand to be recognized by the board.

The board also recollected a student who had previously taken the course but not the state exam. The student called Reeves before the most recent exam, saying that she wanted to try, and together they spent four hours going over concepts. Thanks to Reeves's efforts. the student went on to pass the exam with flying colors, finishing the program that she had started.