News Health Careers Exploration club sets a sail with psychiatry specialists

A health career is something that is very appealing to many students, and South High is no exception. Two students who shared interests in leading a health career are sophomores Astrid Berger and Madeline Mahoney. Together they started the Health Careers Exploration group last spring. The group was started as a school project, called the ripple effect, by Mahoney for her humanities class. Mahoney had her mother, who is a physician, come in to help her do the project and ultimately start the club.

Health Careers Exploration was started so that students could explore health careers and get a better understanding of their future, to “[see] the options we have out there.” said Berger. “We want to open up opportunities for students to kind of see into the world and a career we could get into, which is a pretty cool thing.”

The most recent meeting was on November 18th, and the topic was Psychology and Psychiatry. Two speakers came to South to speak with Health Careers Exploration. The two were Ted Loosen, a psychiatric nurse and Kristen Lund, a therapist. “It’s an opportunity for getting to know a different career.” Berger explained “I feel excited about having some cool opportunities.”

Around twenty students sat in a classroom listening intently to Loosen and Lund and although many of the students came only for the free donuts many listened till the end.

Kristen Lund is a self-explained “outpatient mental health therapist.” Lund was flattered to be asked to come to South and talk to students interested in her line of work. “I think it’s really good to ask questions in the field.” Lund said, “I sorta had no idea of what it would be like, to do what I do.”

Loosen, who works at the University of Minnesota, Riverside Hospital: “I wish that when I went to school we had something like this,” said Loosen. “It was good to share some of my knowledge anyway.”