February 6, 2025 • 15 mins
In this episode, CHS seniors Parker Ebberts and Riley Bump join us to share their experiences in the Wesley Healthcare High School Observation Program, offered through CHS Work-Based Learning. They discuss the valuable insights they gained into the healthcare field and how the program helped shape their future career goals. The CHS Work-Based Learning program opens doors for students to explore real-world careers, gain hands-on experience, and build professional connections, preparing them for success beyond high school.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Hi everybody, welcome to season two, episode three of T-Bird Talk.
(00:10):
Join us as we explore the world of Circle Public Schools, sharing inspiring stories,
delving into the inner workings of our district, exploring innovative education and celebrating
the achievements of our students and educators.
Whether you're a student, parent, educator, or just passionate about education, T-Bird
Talk is your go-to source for community conversations and behind-the-scenes insights.
(00:31):
Get ready for a journey into the heart of public schools where excellence meets innovation.
I'm Superintendent Don Potter.
And I'm Sarah Potter, Director of Community Relations and Development.
Today we're here with CHS seniors Riley Bump and Parker Eberts.
Well welcome Riley, Parker, thank you for being here today.
Right now they are part of the Wesley Healthcare High School Observation Program and we're
(00:56):
certainly happy that you guys are in this program and we want to kind of ask you a couple
questions, actually a few questions if you don't mind about your experiences.
And the first one that I'll have and I'll have Parker go first, what is the Wesley Healthcare
High School Observation Program and how did you get into it and then we'll have Riley
(01:19):
follow that up.
Yes, so the Wesley Program, it's a program where you can go to the hospital, you can
pick a unit that you want to shadow and you'll go two or three times a week and you'll shadow
that unit that you wanted to go to.
And to get into this program I went and talked to Ms. Crawford because I knew I wanted to
(01:41):
do something in the medical field and I was like hey, can I do something?
Is there a way that I could go shadow a hospital?
And she's like yeah, of course.
And so we sat down and got it all figured out and then we got in contact with the hospital
and we were able to go shadow and tour the building and get started.
(02:01):
So yeah.
Yes, I really loved being able to go work at Wesley.
It's a very unique experience.
You pick a different unit each week and you go either two or three times a week like Parker
said and then at the end of the week you fill out a survey about how you felt your time
in the unit was well spent and whoever you were shadowing, they end up filling out a
(02:24):
survey on you and they take those surveys and they determine your grade in the gradebook
for that internship.
I realized from this internship that I really didn't like things like radiology and I was
more interested in spending time with kids or being in the operating room.
So when you're at Wesley, what does a typical day or a typical...
(02:47):
How long are you there?
And what is like a typical shift?
We are there from one to three and I think we went every other day.
It seemed like because of snow days and just off days, we were there more on Tuesday, Thursdays.
And so you're there from one to three and you go up to the unit, they have a sheet that
(03:09):
you...
A Google sheet that they have shared with you and it has the building number, the room
number, the floor number.
So it is pretty easy to get to because Wesley is a very big hospital and you follow around
a nurse or a practitioner of medicine.
I think we spent a lot of time with nurses, I would say.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I'd say that I'll add on to that.
(03:31):
So we went...
You can schedule at any time of the day you want.
So depending on how your school schedule works, you could go in the morning, the evening,
like not evening, but like afternoon.
And it just really...they work with you and you take a tour of the whole hospital just
so you know where things are and where to get to.
(03:52):
And so yeah, it's just you go there and you arrive and you're put right to work.
Something that was also really special is that it was just you with the nurse.
There wasn't another student from your school with you.
You just had to do it independently by yourself.
You pick one at a time and they recommended you don't repeat, but we ended up going through,
(04:15):
I would say, all of them.
And so at the end, we were able to go back and choose the ones that we really enjoyed
spending time with.
So you guys talked a little bit about this experience and that kind of stuff, but how
has it changed your mindset around healthcare and specifically the program itself?
Talk about what it's done for you as a high school kid.
(04:36):
Yeah.
It's just so much, so for me, I knew I wanted to go in the medical field, but I didn't really
have a specific direction.
And this experience has definitely gave me the opportunity to see what I love to do and
definitely could not see myself ever doing.
And so it was great just to be able to picture myself doing this and then also not doing
(05:00):
that.
And it's just given me a chance to grow as a person and realize what they are doing.
There's so much stuff that they do behind the scenes that nobody sees and they're just
doing their best and really caring for the patient.
And that's just stuff that people don't get to see.
(05:21):
And I got to see that and I got to realize that I could do this and it could definitely
be a potential future.
So what's your definitely yes and what's your definitely no?
So my definitely no would be like surgeries.
(05:43):
I could never do surgery.
Parker said she was scared she was going to pass out.
Yes.
There was some times that I was like, I got to go stuff out.
I'm so sorry.
But and definitely yes is like pharmacy.
I love like just the behind the scenes and like doing what people don't see, which I'm
fine with.
And I'm more of like behind the scenes and not one on one with the patient.
(06:05):
So yeah, I would say that an experience that this internship gave me was it gave me a new
sort of understanding and respect for our health care workers.
I saw how at times the nurses would be under staff or they would be overworked, but they
were still there with a smile on their face and they're there taking really great care
of our patients, which also just helped me realize that Wesley is a world, worldly renowned
(06:28):
hospital for a reason.
I was glad that us as circle students, we were able to experience that and be a part
of it.
I had always thought I wanted to be a pediatric surgeon growing up because I was born two
and a half months early with three abdominal surgeries, two eye surgeries and sinus surgery.
So numerous medical challenges growing up and I wanted to be able to give babies or
(06:50):
kids a chance just like I had gotten from my pediatric surgeon.
And so I got to actually go in and shadow my own pediatric surgeon and it was just a
coincidence.
I had no idea that she was going to be there because she's back and forth through different
hospitals.
But that was a really special moment that I know I'm going to remember forever.
I would say my definite no would have to be radiology.
(07:13):
I thought that everyone was a little quiet in there and I'm a very enthusiastic, energetic
person.
I know it is very quiet in radiology.
It was very quiet.
And then a yes would have to be working with kids, so pediatric surgery or being an anesthesiologist.
I thought being able to help people and talk to them right before they go into a scary
(07:34):
time would be very comforting and it would just allow me to be myself throughout my career.
I could see that for you.
Thank you.
So you talked about your pediatric surgeon and you've probably connected with a lot of
professionals.
And this may be putting you on the spot a little bit and maybe need some think time
on it, but what is the best piece of advice that they have given you?
(07:57):
You want to go first Riley?
I would say the best piece of advice I got was that it doesn't matter where you get your
education at.
You're still going to get a good education if you're going into the medical field, whether
you're going to a D1 university or if you're going to a community college.
There are people from all over.
Like I met a person, I met this guy, he was from New Jersey and he ended up in Kansas
(08:20):
and he went to a community college in Nebraska, yet he ended up in Kansas.
He was from New Jersey.
It's just that the medical field can really take you anywhere in the world.
So if you're wanting to travel, that's a great experience you can get out of it.
Yeah I loved picking people's brains at where they, like how did they get here, what their
tips, what their tricks are, what their don'ts are.
(08:42):
I mean it was just so cool to learn people's stories and ask them for advice and what they
recommend me doing.
And yeah it was great because I got to see everyone's different perspective and where
they came from, where they went and yeah it was just great learning about that.
So if another CHS student were interested in the medical field, interested in this program,
(09:09):
what's your advice that you would give them?
I would definitely say go into this program.
It's a great insight on the hospital life and I've actually already recommended people
in my class to try this program out because I mean it's such a great experience and it
has definitely gave me a pathway to take and I know now what I am going to do.
(09:38):
I would say go into it with an open mind.
Try something that you would never picture yourself being in.
I always knew I wanted to go into the medical field but I did never picture oncology and
I went and I shadowed in the oncology unit and I actually really enjoyed it.
I got to learn about like different family histories and apply those to my life and to
(09:59):
things that my family have going on in their lives.
And I also would say just if you're wanting to be a part of this program, go and talk
to Ms. Crawford about it early.
You just have to fill out a little bit of paperwork and I am someone who likes to be
prepared a lot of the time so you can get it turned in early and you don't have to
worry about it so you can go into your next semester of high school with an open mind
(10:22):
whenever starting this program.
This may be kind of a reiteration of the question but we have approximately 75% of our high
school graduating seniors participating in a work-based learning program based on the
last numbers.
What general advice would you give them about, man, should I get into this program or not
(10:46):
and just kind of talk about the, I guess, the importance of jumping into a program whether
it's at Wesley or any other of our business partners that are participating in this about
how important it is for their future?
Yeah, for sure.
I mean, it doesn't hurt.
Like why not try it?
It's definitely a good direction to take.
(11:10):
Even if you're not going to do it, I mean, it tells you that you're not going to do it.
I mean, it will very much help what you do in the future and it will give you great insights
on how things are.
You can be at the internship and just think, can I picture myself doing this for the rest
of my life?
Am I going to be happy with this?
(11:31):
And if your answer is yes, then go for it.
If it's no, then that's okay.
You can figure something out and there's so many more opportunities to come.
It's going to give you a kick start on how you want to get started in your future because
I mean, I am pretty sure that we had a student who's gone through the Wesley program before
and they decided that they didn't want to be in medicine.
(11:52):
And what if that student had gone on to college and become a pre-nursing or pre-med major
and they realized then that they had wasted all this time and all of these different classes
when they could truly be doing something that they love?
And like Parker said, you want to try it out because it's not going to hurt and it's just
going to give you a chance to think about it in different ways.
(12:14):
And yeah, this is just a really great experience overall.
Going into high school, I didn't think I was going to have this opportunity, but I think
that these internships is what makes Circle a very unique school and a very great school
for students who are wanting to get a head start on their future career.
So I know that this is a question that seniors get a lot, but based on your experience here
(12:34):
and where you are in your academic career, what's next?
What are you guys going to do?
Parker and I are excited for this question.
Yes, very excited.
You want to go first?
Parker and I, well, I know I am for sure going to the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville,
Arkansas, and I'm going to be a pre-med major, so majoring in biology.
(12:57):
And there is a really good chance that Parker and I are going to be roommates.
Yes, stay tuned.
Yeah, we are very excited for our futures and with this internship, we are for sure
that we want to go in the medical field, and I will also be on the pre-med track studying
biology and yeah, we are super excited.
(13:19):
And in April, I'm going to try out for the cheer team at the University of Arkansas,
so I've just been going to different clinics and getting my name out there, and I am definitely
rushing a sorority.
Being a pageant girl, I feel like I've been preparing for that my whole life.
That's so exciting.
Yes, I will do the same, and you'll either see me at University of Arkansas or Texas
(13:43):
Christian University.
I have not decided yet, so she's decided on Arkansas.
Helping you make those decisions.
Well certainly, Riley and Parker, we're very proud of you and very excited about your future
plans, and I love hearing that what you're going to do, and I think that makes a huge
(14:05):
difference and it's a mindset shift from years ago when I was in college, you really had
a mission, but it was like where you were going more so than what you were going to
do, and I think that's a huge mindset shift that you guys have had, and so again, we're
so proud of you guys and proud of all of our students, but I think you guys are raising
(14:29):
the bar for a lot of our young people coming up behind you that I think is exciting, and
also sharing your talents with Wesley, I think has been beneficial to them too, so thank
you guys for that.
So without further ado, as we continue, stay up to date with what's going on at Circle
(14:53):
Public Schools, make sure to follow us on Facebook and Circle USD 375 and visit our
webpage and if you're a parent or guardian, make sure you continue to check out information
to you through ParentSquare.
As always, if you have a question or a suggestion for an episode, email us at media at USD375.org.
(15:16):
We always love to hear from you.
And thanks again for joining us for this episode of T-Bird Talk, and as always, Thriving 375.
Thank you so much for having us.
We're so excited.
Roll Birds!
Hi everybody, welcome to season two, episode three of T-Bird Talk.
(00:10):
Join us as we explore the world of Circle Public Schools, sharing inspiring stories,
delving into the inner workings of our district, exploring innovative education and celebrating
the achievements of our students and educators.
Whether you're a student, parent, educator, or just passionate about education, T-Bird
Talk is your go-to source for community conversations and behind-the-scenes insights.
(00:31):
Get ready for a journey into the heart of public schools where excellence meets innovation.
I'm Superintendent Don Potter.
And I'm Sarah Potter, Director of Community Relations and Development.
Today we're here with CHS seniors Riley Bump and Parker Eberts.
Well welcome Riley, Parker, thank you for being here today.
Right now they are part of the Wesley Healthcare High School Observation Program and we're
(00:56):
certainly happy that you guys are in this program and we want to kind of ask you a couple
questions, actually a few questions if you don't mind about your experiences.
And the first one that I'll have and I'll have Parker go first, what is the Wesley Healthcare
High School Observation Program and how did you get into it and then we'll have Riley
(01:19):
follow that up.
Yes, so the Wesley Program, it's a program where you can go to the hospital, you can
pick a unit that you want to shadow and you'll go two or three times a week and you'll shadow
that unit that you wanted to go to.
And to get into this program I went and talked to Ms. Crawford because I knew I wanted to
(01:41):
do something in the medical field and I was like hey, can I do something?
Is there a way that I could go shadow a hospital?
And she's like yeah, of course.
And so we sat down and got it all figured out and then we got in contact with the hospital
and we were able to go shadow and tour the building and get started.
(02:01):
So yeah.
Yes, I really loved being able to go work at Wesley.
It's a very unique experience.
You pick a different unit each week and you go either two or three times a week like Parker
said and then at the end of the week you fill out a survey about how you felt your time
in the unit was well spent and whoever you were shadowing, they end up filling out a
(02:24):
survey on you and they take those surveys and they determine your grade in the gradebook
for that internship.
I realized from this internship that I really didn't like things like radiology and I was
more interested in spending time with kids or being in the operating room.
So when you're at Wesley, what does a typical day or a typical...
(02:47):
How long are you there?
And what is like a typical shift?
We are there from one to three and I think we went every other day.
It seemed like because of snow days and just off days, we were there more on Tuesday, Thursdays.
And so you're there from one to three and you go up to the unit, they have a sheet that
(03:09):
you...
A Google sheet that they have shared with you and it has the building number, the room
number, the floor number.
So it is pretty easy to get to because Wesley is a very big hospital and you follow around
a nurse or a practitioner of medicine.
I think we spent a lot of time with nurses, I would say.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I'd say that I'll add on to that.
(03:31):
So we went...
You can schedule at any time of the day you want.
So depending on how your school schedule works, you could go in the morning, the evening,
like not evening, but like afternoon.
And it just really...they work with you and you take a tour of the whole hospital just
so you know where things are and where to get to.
(03:52):
And so yeah, it's just you go there and you arrive and you're put right to work.
Something that was also really special is that it was just you with the nurse.
There wasn't another student from your school with you.
You just had to do it independently by yourself.
You pick one at a time and they recommended you don't repeat, but we ended up going through,
(04:15):
I would say, all of them.
And so at the end, we were able to go back and choose the ones that we really enjoyed
spending time with.
So you guys talked a little bit about this experience and that kind of stuff, but how
has it changed your mindset around healthcare and specifically the program itself?
Talk about what it's done for you as a high school kid.
(04:36):
Yeah.
It's just so much, so for me, I knew I wanted to go in the medical field, but I didn't really
have a specific direction.
And this experience has definitely gave me the opportunity to see what I love to do and
definitely could not see myself ever doing.
And so it was great just to be able to picture myself doing this and then also not doing
(05:00):
that.
And it's just given me a chance to grow as a person and realize what they are doing.
There's so much stuff that they do behind the scenes that nobody sees and they're just
doing their best and really caring for the patient.
And that's just stuff that people don't get to see.
(05:21):
And I got to see that and I got to realize that I could do this and it could definitely
be a potential future.
So what's your definitely yes and what's your definitely no?
So my definitely no would be like surgeries.
(05:43):
I could never do surgery.
Parker said she was scared she was going to pass out.
Yes.
There was some times that I was like, I got to go stuff out.
I'm so sorry.
But and definitely yes is like pharmacy.
I love like just the behind the scenes and like doing what people don't see, which I'm
fine with.
And I'm more of like behind the scenes and not one on one with the patient.
(06:05):
So yeah, I would say that an experience that this internship gave me was it gave me a new
sort of understanding and respect for our health care workers.
I saw how at times the nurses would be under staff or they would be overworked, but they
were still there with a smile on their face and they're there taking really great care
of our patients, which also just helped me realize that Wesley is a world, worldly renowned
(06:28):
hospital for a reason.
I was glad that us as circle students, we were able to experience that and be a part
of it.
I had always thought I wanted to be a pediatric surgeon growing up because I was born two
and a half months early with three abdominal surgeries, two eye surgeries and sinus surgery.
So numerous medical challenges growing up and I wanted to be able to give babies or
(06:50):
kids a chance just like I had gotten from my pediatric surgeon.
And so I got to actually go in and shadow my own pediatric surgeon and it was just a
coincidence.
I had no idea that she was going to be there because she's back and forth through different
hospitals.
But that was a really special moment that I know I'm going to remember forever.
I would say my definite no would have to be radiology.
(07:13):
I thought that everyone was a little quiet in there and I'm a very enthusiastic, energetic
person.
I know it is very quiet in radiology.
It was very quiet.
And then a yes would have to be working with kids, so pediatric surgery or being an anesthesiologist.
I thought being able to help people and talk to them right before they go into a scary
(07:34):
time would be very comforting and it would just allow me to be myself throughout my career.
I could see that for you.
Thank you.
So you talked about your pediatric surgeon and you've probably connected with a lot of
professionals.
And this may be putting you on the spot a little bit and maybe need some think time
on it, but what is the best piece of advice that they have given you?
(07:57):
You want to go first Riley?
I would say the best piece of advice I got was that it doesn't matter where you get your
education at.
You're still going to get a good education if you're going into the medical field, whether
you're going to a D1 university or if you're going to a community college.
There are people from all over.
Like I met a person, I met this guy, he was from New Jersey and he ended up in Kansas
(08:20):
and he went to a community college in Nebraska, yet he ended up in Kansas.
He was from New Jersey.
It's just that the medical field can really take you anywhere in the world.
So if you're wanting to travel, that's a great experience you can get out of it.
Yeah I loved picking people's brains at where they, like how did they get here, what their
tips, what their tricks are, what their don'ts are.
(08:42):
I mean it was just so cool to learn people's stories and ask them for advice and what they
recommend me doing.
And yeah it was great because I got to see everyone's different perspective and where
they came from, where they went and yeah it was just great learning about that.
So if another CHS student were interested in the medical field, interested in this program,
(09:09):
what's your advice that you would give them?
I would definitely say go into this program.
It's a great insight on the hospital life and I've actually already recommended people
in my class to try this program out because I mean it's such a great experience and it
has definitely gave me a pathway to take and I know now what I am going to do.
(09:38):
I would say go into it with an open mind.
Try something that you would never picture yourself being in.
I always knew I wanted to go into the medical field but I did never picture oncology and
I went and I shadowed in the oncology unit and I actually really enjoyed it.
I got to learn about like different family histories and apply those to my life and to
(09:59):
things that my family have going on in their lives.
And I also would say just if you're wanting to be a part of this program, go and talk
to Ms. Crawford about it early.
You just have to fill out a little bit of paperwork and I am someone who likes to be
prepared a lot of the time so you can get it turned in early and you don't have to
worry about it so you can go into your next semester of high school with an open mind
(10:22):
whenever starting this program.
This may be kind of a reiteration of the question but we have approximately 75% of our high
school graduating seniors participating in a work-based learning program based on the
last numbers.
What general advice would you give them about, man, should I get into this program or not
(10:46):
and just kind of talk about the, I guess, the importance of jumping into a program whether
it's at Wesley or any other of our business partners that are participating in this about
how important it is for their future?
Yeah, for sure.
I mean, it doesn't hurt.
Like why not try it?
It's definitely a good direction to take.
(11:10):
Even if you're not going to do it, I mean, it tells you that you're not going to do it.
I mean, it will very much help what you do in the future and it will give you great insights
on how things are.
You can be at the internship and just think, can I picture myself doing this for the rest
of my life?
Am I going to be happy with this?
(11:31):
And if your answer is yes, then go for it.
If it's no, then that's okay.
You can figure something out and there's so many more opportunities to come.
It's going to give you a kick start on how you want to get started in your future because
I mean, I am pretty sure that we had a student who's gone through the Wesley program before
and they decided that they didn't want to be in medicine.
(11:52):
And what if that student had gone on to college and become a pre-nursing or pre-med major
and they realized then that they had wasted all this time and all of these different classes
when they could truly be doing something that they love?
And like Parker said, you want to try it out because it's not going to hurt and it's just
going to give you a chance to think about it in different ways.
(12:14):
And yeah, this is just a really great experience overall.
Going into high school, I didn't think I was going to have this opportunity, but I think
that these internships is what makes Circle a very unique school and a very great school
for students who are wanting to get a head start on their future career.
So I know that this is a question that seniors get a lot, but based on your experience here
(12:34):
and where you are in your academic career, what's next?
What are you guys going to do?
Parker and I are excited for this question.
Yes, very excited.
You want to go first?
Parker and I, well, I know I am for sure going to the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville,
Arkansas, and I'm going to be a pre-med major, so majoring in biology.
(12:57):
And there is a really good chance that Parker and I are going to be roommates.
Yes, stay tuned.
Yeah, we are very excited for our futures and with this internship, we are for sure
that we want to go in the medical field, and I will also be on the pre-med track studying
biology and yeah, we are super excited.
(13:19):
And in April, I'm going to try out for the cheer team at the University of Arkansas,
so I've just been going to different clinics and getting my name out there, and I am definitely
rushing a sorority.
Being a pageant girl, I feel like I've been preparing for that my whole life.
That's so exciting.
Yes, I will do the same, and you'll either see me at University of Arkansas or Texas
(13:43):
Christian University.
I have not decided yet, so she's decided on Arkansas.
Helping you make those decisions.
Well certainly, Riley and Parker, we're very proud of you and very excited about your future
plans, and I love hearing that what you're going to do, and I think that makes a huge
(14:05):
difference and it's a mindset shift from years ago when I was in college, you really had
a mission, but it was like where you were going more so than what you were going to
do, and I think that's a huge mindset shift that you guys have had, and so again, we're
so proud of you guys and proud of all of our students, but I think you guys are raising
(14:29):
the bar for a lot of our young people coming up behind you that I think is exciting, and
also sharing your talents with Wesley, I think has been beneficial to them too, so thank
you guys for that.
So without further ado, as we continue, stay up to date with what's going on at Circle
(14:53):
Public Schools, make sure to follow us on Facebook and Circle USD 375 and visit our
webpage and if you're a parent or guardian, make sure you continue to check out information
to you through ParentSquare.
As always, if you have a question or a suggestion for an episode, email us at media at USD375.org.
(15:16):
We always love to hear from you.
And thanks again for joining us for this episode of T-Bird Talk, and as always, Thriving 375.
Thank you so much for having us.
We're so excited.
Roll Birds!
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On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
Ridiculous History
History is beautiful, brutal and, often, ridiculous. Join Ben Bowlin and Noel Brown as they dive into some of the weirdest stories from across the span of human civilization in Ridiculous History, a podcast by iHeartRadio.