Saylor Sisters: Jessica, Sarah, Hillary

It's not uncommon for several members of the same family to choose to come to the Lorain County JVS for career-technical training. What is unusual, however, is for three sisters to choose the same JVS program, the same career field, and all start work at the same business on the same day.

These unusual circumstances apply to the Saylor sisters: Jessica, Sarah and Hillary, all Grafton residents and graduates of Midview High School and the Lorain County JVS Allied Heath Science Program.

Jessica graduated in 2003, Sarah graduated in 2007, and Hillary graduated in 2009, and all three girls were hired as State Tested Nurses Assistants (STNAs) at Keystone Pointe Health and Rehabilitation, in LaGrange, in January 2009. Moreover, all are pursuing higher education and have chosen healthcare as their life's work.

Here is their story:

Hillary enrolled in the Allied Health Program because, "I knew I would have the chance to experience a lot of things at the JVS that would help me make up my mind about a career before I even started college."

Some of these experiences included time spent at Kendal at Oberlin and the EMH Regional Medical Center observing professionals working in a variety of different healthcare occupations.

"These experiences helped me decide to attend Lorain County Community College and pursue my RN Degree," affirmed Hillary.

"During my time at the JVS we spent time exploring different healthcare related careers through job shadowing and work-based learning experiences," stated Hillary. "These experiences helped me define my career goals."

"Moreover, I feel like the JVS prepared me for college and the work world," she continued. "I'm using my job as an STNA to pay for my college education."

Sarah decided on the JVS after seeing how successful her older sister, Jessica, was in the Allied Health Program and after shadowing Holly Sofia, the program instructor. "I got to see how Mrs. Sofia taught the class; once I had this opportunity, I knew this program was for me."

"One of the best things about the Allied Health Program is the dual credit you earn for many of the classes," affirmed Sarah. "I received college credit for classes in General Pathology, Body Structure and Function, Medical Terminology, and even College 101. 
This is a big advantage offered by college tech prep programs like Allied Health because earning credit for college classes before you graduate high school saves you both time and money."

"I also really enjoy meeting new people from other schools," continued Sarah. "Because the college tech prep programs are half-day, it's the best of both worlds. You keep your friends at your home high school, but get to make new friends at the JVS."

Sarah has been a STNA for 3 years, working at Olmsted Manor, in North Olmsted before joining her sisters at Keystone Pointe. "I love working at a facility where you have a mixture of people who will be staying a long time and those who are just staying long enough to rehab, get better and go home. It's very rewarding to help people who come to us to gain strength and get healthy enough to go home to be with their families."

Sarah is currently attending Lorain County Community College majoring in business administration with a minor in human resources. "I would like to work on the 'business side' of the healthcare industry," she said. "And I will be paying for my college degree using the skills I received at the JVS."

Jessica, the eldest of the trio, agonized about leaving her home school to attend the JVS. "It's a big decision for a student who is in their sophomore year to make," she said. "At that age you worry about leaving your friends behind."

All it took for Jessica to change her mind was a discussion with Holly Sofia. "Mrs. Sofia calmed my fears and helped me feel confident that the Allied Health Program would be the best path I could take to prepare me for a career in nursing." Jessica is in the final stretch of the RN Program at Lorain County Community College; she will start her clinical rotation through area hospitals in the fall.

"I think I would like to be a labor and delivery nurse, but I'm going to keep an open mind and make that decision after I do my clinicals and I've seen a variety of departments and specialties," stated Jessica.

The Saylor sisters have important decisions and exciting choices in their futures. Wherever the path to their careers in heathcare lead, no one will be surprised if they continue their journey together.