APPLETON (NBC 26) — When I was in high school, we didn't have something like this.
- "MediBridge," created by Appleton North senior Olivia Feng, connects local students with healthcare professionals to explore career options.
- More than 200 students from schools around the region attended the fair.
- Medical professionals, including an OB/GYN, demonstrated skills like delivering babies and highlighted different healthcare roles beyond doctors and nurses.
- The initiative aims to fill the lack of healthcare career exploration opportunities for students in the Appleton area.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
“We knew this was something that was lacking,” says Appleton Youth Education Initiative President Olivia Feng.
Feng, an Appleton North senior, helped bring it all together. “I knew I, like, loved health, but where exactly? There were so many different fields. So I was looking for ways to explore, but I couldn’t really find that,” she added.
So, Feng took the initiative. “We kind of came up with the idea of, like, 'let's make one!'”
It’s called "MediBridge." Feng worked with the Appleton Youth Education Initiative to put it together. The non-profit works closely with students like her to identify areas they want to learn more about.
MediBridge brought medical professionals together to connect with students.
“A lot of the students that have come by have been really fantastic. They ask such appropriate questions,” said Dr. Sreedevi Sreenarasimhaiah, an OB/GYN with Women’s Health Specialists.
In addition to sponsoring the fair, Dr. Sree showed students how professionals like her deliver babies. She emphasized that there’s more to her field—and others—than meets the eye.
“We’ve got nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, ultrasound stenographers, all sorts of specialties! We really need people in healthcare,” she explained.
Most importantly, she shared her excitement for the future.
“I’m really excited about if these kids are going to be in healthcare in the future, I think we’ll be in good hands.”
Feng says even though she’s graduating, she’s hopeful for the future of the event and that more healthcare professionals—and students—will get involved.
