Andrea Broadbeck, Respiratory Care Class of 2018

Andrea Broadbeck got a jumpstart on her college education when she was just sixteen years old.

When Andrea was a junior at Kettering Fairmont High School she entered an allied health technical preparation program supported through a partnership between her high school and the Miami Valley Tech Prep Consortium (MVTPC). The MVTPC joins with area high schools, Sinclair College, and employers to create college prep programs in 15 career fields with an emphasis in mathematics, science, communication, and technology. The Tech Prep curriculum is designed to lead to a college degree in the student’s technical field of choice and also incorporates employability skills like hands-on learning, teamwork, and work-site experiences.

Andrea decided to enter the Allied Health Tech Prep program after seeing and hearing about her grandmother and aunt’s experiences as nurses.

“My grandma and aunt really inspired me to pursue a career in healthcare but I also just love helping and taking care of others,” says Andrea. “There is no better place to do that than healthcare.”

After graduating from high school and completing the Allied Health Tech Prep program, Andrea decided to continue to pursue her education at Sinclair and focus on respiratory care.

“During my senior year of high school I was able to shadow a respiratory therapist for a project and that is when I really started showing an interest in respiratory care,” says Andrea. “I chose to attend Sinclair because I had many people recommend it, it was near home, and I received a scholarship through the Tech Prep program.”

Students who elect to participate in Tech Prep may earn college credits while in high school and are eligible to receive a $3,000 Sinclair Community College scholarship, provided they earn a minimum 2.25 GPA and complete the requirements of their Tech Prep program prior to graduation.

“For a long time I was conflicted over whether I should pursue nursing or respiratory care, but in the end I knew I would like respiratory care better because it was more interesting and personal to me,” says Andrea. “I have had asthma my whole life and I have been cared for by some great respiratory therapists.”

Andrea will be starting her second year in the respiratory care program this fall.

So far my experience at Sinclair has been great! All of my instructors have been very helpful and try their best to make sure everyone is doing well,” says Andrea. “I have seen photos of our new respiratory lab and classroom in the Health Sciences Center and they look awesome! I am very excited to continue classes in the new building and I'm really looking forward to the new technology and opportunities we will have in the lab.

Andrea is on track to graduate in May 2018.

“As of right now I'm not sure where I want to work when I graduate,” says Andrea. “I know I want to work in a hospital setting but I have been going back-and-forth between wanting to work with kids and adults. I’m hoping clinical rotations will give me some more insight, which is another reason why Sinclair has been the right choice for me. Sinclair provides you with affordable opportunities to get a feel for what you like before you enter the workforce.”

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