Carrie Roder

School-To-Career Job Shadow Experience Speech

October 19, 2004

Good Morning, my name is Carrie Roder.  I am currently a senior at Newmarket High School getting ready to graduate.  I have been working with Ms. Winterbottom in School-To-Career since 8th grade.  She helped me understand the importance of community service and how it stands out on a resume.  She also provided me with the opportunity to participate in two job shadows; one as in Dover in 2001 and the other was in Boston in 2004.  It is because of this experience I now know what I want to do when I graduate.

Both job shadows were at hospitals here I met some very interesting nurses and midwives ho took the time out of their busy schedules to tell me about their job.  The fist was at Wentworth Douglas Hospitals here I was able to spend several house with a midwife and as given the opportunity to visit a baby who was 6 weeks premature and needed machines to help him breathe.  When I went back to the midwife’s office, there was a picture of a teeny, tiny baby ho fit in a grown mans hand.  Seeing this sparked something that inspired me to pursue a career as a neonatal nurse.

Next I chose the Boston Children’s Hospital to job shadow because they rat some of the smallest and sickest babies.  Ms. Winterbottom had arranged for me to spend a ½ day at the hospital for a program called SCOOP, which is the Students Careers Outreach Opportunities Program.

We touched the General Surgery Unit, the Oncology Unit and the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.  I was able to walk through the nursery in the Neonatal Unit and see some of the smallest babies that I have ever seen.  Watching those babies clinging to life was miraculous. This very educational visit solidified my desire to become a neonatal nurse.

It is clear to me that I want to take care of children in need.  Helping babies beat the odds would be a very rewarding career for me.  Going on these job shadows and being in the program has taught me life is precious especially for the young ones.  I am looking forward to beginning my nursing program next year in college.  Tanks to the School-To-Career Program, I learned what being a nurse is really about that they make a difference in people’s lives everyday.