Catherine Eastland, a senior at Wichita South High School, has known for a long time that she wanted to go into the medical field.  

“My cousin is a nurse,” Eastland said. “I always wanted to follow in her footsteps.” 

A program at the high school has given her a head start on her journey. 

Through Wichita South’s Emergency and Fire Management Services Career and Technical Education (CTE) pathway, Eastland is now involved in an internship that allows her to ride along with the Sedgwick County EMS ambulance crew and gain first-hand experience as an emergency medical technician (EMT).  

Eastland and other Wichita South students were among the dozens of students who participated in the Kansas Association for Career and Technical Education (K-ACTE) Legislative Day 2023 CTE Showcase at the Capitol on Monday, Feb. 20. 

Recently, Eastland performed CPR on a man who was being unloaded from an ambulance at an area hospital.  

“I did CPR from the threshold of the hospital until we made it into the room,” she said. 

There are four students through the Emergency and Fire Management Services pathway who are working as interns, said Robert Dusenbery, a technology educator at Wichita South and a former fire captain in Wichita. 

“This really gets them ready,” he said of the internships. 

Eastland, who wants to be a doctor, has about five more shifts – 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. – during coming months. 

Oscar Saucedo, a senior at Wichita South, is involved in a fire internship through the school’s CTE program that allows him to attend calls with the Wichita Fire Department. When he first joined the CTE program, he wasn’t sure what he wanted to do. Now, he plans to pursue becoming a firefighter. 

“This class did that (for me),” Saucedo said. 

The Emergency and Fire Management Services pathway offers dual-credit opportunities with WSU Tech and Hutchinson Community College. Program courses include introduction to law and public service; firefighter 1; firefighter 2; hazmat for fire responders; EMT; fire service special operations; medical terminology; and EMS first responder. 

Dachelle Wright, also a senior at the high school, became involved in the CTE program her junior year, and discovered this year that she is interested in firefighting through the Emergency and Fire Management Services pathway. During the K-ACTE Legislative Day 2023 CTE Showcase on Monday, Wright was suited up in full firefighter gear. 

Just around the Capitol rotunda, students from Hutchinson and Sterling high schools were practicing their welding skills on a specialized machine as Jeremiah Harmon, a welding instructor at Hutchinson Career and Technical Education Academy (HCTEA), and Glenna Burden, a government teacher at Hutchinson High School, watched. 

HCTEA offers a Kansas CTE initiative that allows tuition-free college credits for qualifying Kansas high school juniors and seniors through Hutchinson Community College. Tuition for approved CTE courses is waived under Excel in CTE. 

HCTEA offers opportunities in transportation (auto collision and refinishing technology and automotive technology; manufacturing (machine and manufacturing technology and welding); construction (construction technology/building trades and engineering/architecture); and health science (medical science, CNA, CMA and pharmacology medical terminology). 

Braxton Linden, a senior at Sterling High School, Sterling USD 376, attends HCTEA, too, and wants to pursue a career in welding. 

“I wanted a back-up plan,” he said of his future. “Now, it’s a little more than that.” 

Keyton Fleming, a senior at Hutchinson High School, Hutchinson USD 308, is involved in the high school’s government and public administration course. The class allows students to be involved in career exploration and learn about local government. They also learn interview skills, take field trips and hear from community speakers. 

“This course will introduce students to the knowledge and skills of serving the general public in a variety of occupations,” according to information provided at the K-ACTE Legislative Day 2023 CTE Showcase. “Topics include identifying personal strengths and weaknesses and setting career, leadership and teamwork goals. This class will study the development, organization and operation of the national government and will emphasize the impact of local government in particular. This course will focus on reading and writing skills to prepare students for the workforce and advanced trade work.” 

Upon completion of the course, students receive credit for English 12 B, government and social studies (elective credit). The course is for seniors only and is a good fit for HCTEA students. 

Fleming wants to be a business owner after he graduates and thought the Government and Public Administration course was a good option for him. 

“I could learn more about local government,” he said. 

This is the second year for the course, Burden said. 

“With school redesign, we were looking for different class ideas,” she said. 

Students from more than 20 Kansas high schools attended the K-ACTE CTE event to share information and displays about their CTE programs. The event takes place during Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month®, which celebrates the value of CTE and the achievements and accomplishments of CTE programs across Kansas and the nation.