Fifteen Selma High School graduates will be a step ahead of other seniors that will be leaving high school and entering the workforce or continuing their education.

Those 15 students took park in a nursing program this past semester to become a certified nursing assistant.

The program is designed to give students the building blocks they need to pursue a career in nursing or to immediately enter the workforce. Several of the students we talked to for a story about the class said they plan to use this class as a stepping stone to the next part of their lives. Kerry Evins, one of the students that went through the program, said he plans to work as a certified nursing assistant while he studies to be a physical therapist. Alexis Martin, who plans to one day be a nurse practitioner said the program taught her the basics of nursing, which she can build on as she enters college.

Sharnice Blevins, program instructor, said the program had a 100 percent success rate, and she couldn’t be more proud of her students.

It is good to see programs like these in local high schools preparing students for the future. Not only does this program help students get an idea of what being a nurse entails, it also gives them a chance to work right out of high school as an assistant.

Congratulations to the 15 students that went through the course. We hope to see that number grow in the future to help fill the need for nurses.