Grundy Area Vocational Center CNA students receive their pins

New CNAs receive their pins Wednesday evening in front of over 700 friends and family.

Ninety-seven new certified nursing assistants received pins Wednesday evening in a ceremony at Coal City High School, where their participation in the medical community was made official.

These students come from five different schools in Grundy County, and participate in the Grundy Area Vocational Center’s certification program to get students involved in nursing. Students come from Gardner-South Wilmington, Minooka, Morris High School, Reed-Custer and Coal City.

“We really encourage them to get out into the workforce, and we hope they come back their senior year and take my Medical Assistants and EKG Tech class,” said Jennifer Shell, the GAVC’s Health Operations Instructor. “That way they can add more certifications, and which also includes attending ceremonies so they leave for nursing school or any other medical profession with about 12 certifications.”

Shell said students have to meet state-mandated requirements, which includes more than 100 theory hours, 40 in-person clinical hours for patient skills, and 16 lab hours. She said the students at the GAVC surpassed all of those requirements with flying colors.

“It’s a collegiate curriculum that we really challenge and push these kids for, and they always surprise me,” Shell said. “It’s overwhelming and gratifying at the end to think that we have so many 16 and 17-year-olds putting in a lot of time.”

Shell said what these students accomplish in their nine months with the program is admirable. Parents always leave the pinning ceremony impressed with the skill sets their children developed.

The Grundy Area Vocational Center provides industry-focused career and technical education for junior- and senior-level high school students with the aim of preparing them for future careers.

Michael Urbanec

Michael Urbanec

Michael Urbanec covers Grundy County and the City of Morris, Coal City, Minooka, and more for the Morris Herald-News