By: Ka’Myreha, PLANS Co-op program participant

Hi my name is Ka’Myreha, I enjoy playing basketball I have been playing basketball for about 7 years now. I highly enjoy playing basketball with my family and friends. I enjoy listening to music such as R & B, rap and more. I love going on road trips with my family and friends. I personally think music and trips are relaxing. I joined the plans co-op because I wanted to learn about universities and colleges such as Dalhousie University and their Transition Year Program (TYP) program. My cousin was in the program and is in their second year at Dalhousie and she loves it. I think I can do the TYP program because I have faith in myself but also, I just wanted to get to know what you do in the program and how it works and how you would apply because I would like to apply very soon. The plans co-op program has shown me that I have a chance to pursue what I want in life. I also feel that I can do it if I really push and work really hard. I also joined the PLANS Co-op because of the benefits the TYP program had and how it helps you get prepared for university and support your education financially. My cousin has told me that you can meet different people from Black communities and that sounds pretty fun meeting new people that share my race and getting to know them. 

When we had the microscopes in the class, I really found that it got my attention. I felt myself contemplating pursuing a as a scientist as opposed to a health care worker. But then I quickly remembered that I have always wanted to be a care worker my entire life, but I will always think about becoming a scientist as a second job just because it sounds fun. They use microscopes and the way it looked inside the glass was amazing. I really had a good time doing the PLANS Co-op program. It was an amazing experience for me and I think everyone should do the PLANS Co-op because it’s a good opportunity to learn about the TYP program, universities and colleges.  

My time as a PLANS Co-op student has helped me cultivate a passion for health/science fields. I plan to become a care worker in the future. I want to be this because I want to help older people and be there for them. I would like to experience why people enjoy working as a care worker and how things work in this field.

By: Matteyo, PLANS Co-op program participant

Hi, my name is Matteyo. I joined the PLANS co-op program because there were a lot of areas in health that I could see myself involved in in the future and I knew that this program would give me an opportunity to explore them. I took part in this program to see deeper into the types of careers.  

Throughout the weeks that we met at Zatzman Sportsplex and talked to different people from all the different health professions, I’ve learned that it’s good to start with little groups before making the big jump to the more high end part of the health profession and that doing so, improves your chances of getting in the profession. One of my most notable experiences is when the audiology group came in and they brought lots of fun activities like things u did to test your hearing learning about hearing aids and ultrasounds and to me that was one of the funniest classes that we had.  

My time at the co-op program has made me want to pursue a career in health trades down the road in my life. Growing up, I wanted to be a dentist and the day that we talked to the dental hygienists made me want to be a dentist even more. Seeing how easy it is to get in to the little groups and make a name for myself because I was encouraged to start young and that will offer a better chance for the more advanced aspects of dentistry as I gain more experience.  

That is my summary of the Dalhousie Health Co-op program. I really encourage anyone that likes or wants to be involved with a health profession down the road to participate in this program. Have a great day! 

By: Ashari, PLANS Co-op program participant

My name is Ashari. I joined the PLANS Co-op program because I’ve always been interested in health programs. I want to be a dental hygienist when I’m older and I thought that this program could help me with more experience, help me understand how university programs work, what education you need and how to apply. Ultimately, I thought that joining this program would benefit me in many ways.  

The most fun experience I’ve had with PLANS was actually getting hands on doing things with the guests that we would have, teaching us different skills, how they work, and giving me an experience. It was significant to me because I’ve never had an experience like this before and it made me feel good that I was learning something new about different medical programs that some people don’t even know exists. Doing things hands on will make you more engaged and interested in what you’re doing and make you want to learn more, so it was really cool that the PLANS program was giving me and other students the opportunity to do so. I believe that’s why being hands on and doing things with the guest meant so much to me. 

Being in this co-op program has made me want to achieve my dream job more than ever. I’ve always had a passion and knew I always wanted to pursue something in health I just wasn’t sure yet. But being in this program it has given me opportunities to explore different health professions and see what fits me best and what I was most interested in. This program has made my passion for health professions grow even more and makes me want to work even harder for what I want to do in post post-secondary school.

By: Ky’laijah, PLANS Co-op program participant

My name is Ky’laijah and I joined the PLANS Co-op program because it was about helping students, like myself, learn about all the different health programs I could consider after high school and because the program was for Black students like myself.

The most notable experience for me at the PLANS Co-op was when the students and people that worked at Dalhousie University came in and talked to us about the school and what they do at Dal. For example, we had a chance to practice and learn about what students at Dal study in health programs.

The PLANS Co-op program definitely made me want to learn more about health after high school because we talked about all the different college programs and courses you could take to really make the transition from high school to university/college easier. In the beginning, nursing was not even an option for me, that wasn’t what I wanted to do, I was aiming more toward studying law after high school and becoming a criminal lawyer but now I’m looking forward and really interested in doing nursing, a big reason for that being my experience being a part of my Co-op placement. The reason I want to change what I wanted to do and study nursing is that it involves helping people and taking care of others. Nursing to me seems like a friendly career, and I feel I would really enjoy being a part of that.

By: Malaika, PLANS Co-op program participant

Malaika, PLANS Co-op Program Participant

My name is Malaika and I was made aware of the PLANS Co-op Program through Dalhousie after my fall semester co-op opportunity was cancelled because of Covid-19 restrictions. Looking back, I am happy that I was able to take this co-op opportunity instead, as it showed me the many different jobs and services offered in the field of healthcare.

My post-secondary plans have always been to pursue a career in nursing. I have known that I wanted to be a nurse since grade 9. I wanted to help people and I liked the versatility that nursing seems to offer. Since completing the PLANS co-op program with Dalhousie, I am now aware of so many new ways that nursing could be a fulfilling and rewarding career for me. It also allowed me to explore different jobs in the healthcare field and know for sure that nursing is still what I wish to pursue.

The PLANS program offers so many opportunities for students to explore the healthcare field in hands-on ways. We got to meet people who work in different parts of the healthcare system and learn how they found their paths in their careers. It was also a great chance to learn about how the degrees and programs at Dalhousie can support my career goals, and I got to learn about the high school credits and admissions requirements for the programs I was interested in. The mentors also let us explore mock CASPER tests, so that we could get a real feel for the expectations at nursing school and certification programs.

As a grade 11 student, the PLANS Co-op program has definitely helped me to select courses for my senior year in high school. I also feel much more prepared to apply for nursing school. For example, I now know when to apply and what the expectations are for my grades and the application process. PLANS also gave us information on scholarship opportunities that we can apply for based on our future plans, and now I feel that not only do I know what I want to do after high school, but I know that I have access to resources that may make it more financially realistic for me to pursue.

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By: Tiana, PLANS Co-op program participant

My name is Tiana and I was a participant in the PLANS co-op program. I joined the PLANS Co-op program because I had no idea what I wanted to do after high school. All I knew, was that I wanted to go into something in the medical field. Nursing was my first option, and respiratory therapy was my second. Even though I had these ideas in mind, I had no idea what university I wanted to attend. I didn’t think I could ever get a scholarship with the classes I took in high school, and I didn’t know about all the opportunities that are out there for African Nova Scotian students. Without PLANS, I wouldn’t have been able to figure all of these things out.  

The most significant experience for me is whenever we would have a hands-on activity to do. For example, the respiratory therapy students from Dalhousie had brought in a respiratory doll to practice intubating people. They taught us how to get the tube inside of the lungs, instead of the stomach; the two often get mixed up for beginners. For audiology, they had brought in the actual machine they use to test a person’s hearing. They taught us how to use the machine and got us to practice on each other. These were two of many notable experiences for me because they were interactive and we got a chance to learn what actually happens in that specific profession, and this is what made our co-op sessions fun. 

PLANS has helped encourage me to pursue a career in nursing. A huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders now knowing what I want my career path to look like, and how to get there. They pointed me in the direction of programs I can take to get the education I need in order to go into Dalhousie’s nursing program. I want to thank Sarah, Sydney, and everyone else involved for helping me over the course of the program. You have helped me more than you know and I deeply appreciate it. 

By:Emtenan, PLANS Co-op program participant

My name is Emtenan and this is my first year with PLANS (Promoting Leadership in Health for African Nova Scotians) as well as my first ever Cooperative placement. I am thrilled to share my experience as a PLANS Co-op student with others!

When I registered for my school’s Co-op course, I wasn’t sure what career I would like to follow as a Co-op placement. I had various ideas such as nursing,dentistry, or even pharmacy. One thing I knew for certain, I really wanted to pursue a career that is health-related. After expressing my concern that I didn’t know what career I would like to choose for my Co-op placement, my teacher had informed me about PLANS Co-op placement. I was told that it’s a Co-op placement for African Nova Scotian youth that are interested in pursuing a career in health/science but aren’t sure exactly what career. This program is designed to allow students to explore various health careers that may be of interest to them. I was glad to hear of this program as this program seemed to be perfect for my particular situation. I had joined PLANS in hopes to further my knowledge of health-related careers in hopes to find a career I love that I can pursue.

My most notable experience as a PLANS Co-op student is definitely the time when faculty, professionals and students from Health Sciences had visited and Respiratory Therapists allowed us, students, the opportunity to practice intubating on a mannequin . Being able to use the tools that real Respiratory Therapists use to simulate how to assist patients in breathing had made me feel very professional, almost as if I was a Respiratory Therapist. Being fortunate enough to have hands-on based activities had made me learn so much more about intubation as well as make the activity that much more engaging. I’m not sure if I could properly explain how much enjoyment I had when I was capable of getting the mannequin to breathe.

My time as a PLANS Co-op student has undoubtedly encouraged me to pursue a career in health/ science fields as well as develop a passion for health by introducing me to various diverse health-related careers. I’m very fortunate that PLANS has given me the opportunity to learn of many interesting health-related careers that I hadn’t heard of prior to participating in this program. PLANS has further encouraged me to pursue a career in the health/ science fields by addressing the application process for these programs as it can be intimidating. Furthermore, this program has provided significantly valuable information in applying for scholarships as financial aid can be a barrier to pursuing such careers.

By: Yolanda Watungwa, Undergraduate Student in Health Promotion

Congratulations are in order for many students during the month of June. June 2^nd marked the day of the PLANS Celebration of Excellence, a program closing ceremony. PLANS’ Celebration of Excellence was a graduation celebration for Black students in Medicine, Dentistry and Health. The celebration also recognized the high school students who participated in our Co-op placements this past academic year. In addition to our graduates, we invited the Black Student Advisor, Dr. Theresa Rajack-Talley — the Vice Provost, Equity & Inclusion, Deans from the faculties of health medicine and dentistry, representatives from Labour and Advanced Education, Imhotep’s Legacy Academy, Steve Harding from the Dartmouth General Hospital Foundation and his teams as well as come of the sponsors of the PLANS co-op, PLANS Advisory Committee, and Jalana Lewis — Dalhousie’s Director of African Nova Scotian community engagement.

We started the event with a welcome to our guests led by Sarah Upshaw, the PLANS Program Manager, which was followed by an opening prayer led by Ronke Taiwo, the Black Student Advisor of Dalhousie University. We were also grateful to have had several guest speakers share a few words at the celebration. Dr. Barb Hamilton-Hinch, a Co-Chair of the PLANS Advisory Committee brought greetings on behalf of the advisory committee. Kenisse Trotman, a BSc Health Promotion graduate shared a bit of her journey and left the group with great insight.

“What helps Black youth to succeed? The same thing that helps anybody succeed; mentorship, connection, and relationships with faculty and classmates are so important at this point in our lives. And these are the things that PLANS excel in providing to Black students at Dalhousie University. I worked with PLANS as an aspiring physician and health care worker, and it has been some of the most enjoyable work of my undergraduate education.”

We are excited for what the future brings for Kenisse as she will be continuing her education at Dalhousie University in the fall as she has received her acceptance into Dalhousie Medicine. Dr. Barb Hamilton-Hinch proceeded to provide a beautiful articulation of the significance of the Kente sash. Kente cloth originated in Ghana among the Ashanti people and was traditionally worn by royalty in West Africa. The Kente sash is woven with several colours that hold symbolism to represent virtues such as serenity, fertility, renewal, and spirit to name a few.

 “All the things that made me think that I might get there; nobody in my family is a doctor, I have to work in order to fund my education… I see the world differently because of the way that I look and the way that I move through Nova Scotia. And those things do not matter anymore. As a matter of fact, because of PLANS, I see them as helping me to succeed in my career aspirations.” – Kenisse Trotman

All of our graduates who indicated interest were personally mailed a Kente sash of their own.

After announcing the names of each of our graduates and highlighting those who received certificates with their degrees, we invited Steve Harding from Dartmouth General Hospital Foundation to share a word with our Co-op placement students. Following Harding, we listened to Janelle Colley, a grade 11 student from Auburn High School speak to her experience in the Co-Op Placement program this past year.

“I really enjoyed it because we got to get a feel for what we want to do, field-wise. My eyes were opened to a lot of different programs that I didn’t even know about. Although I still don’t know what I want to be, I think I have an idea.” – Janelle Colley

Despite having a virtual celebration this year, the event was a great success. We were thrilled to be met with the large group we had attended the event and join us in celebrating this year’s graduates. To echo what 2021 graduate, Kenisse Trotman, said so beautifully

“You cannot do it alone. Be open to collaboration. Find a group of people who challenge and inspire you. Spend a lot of time with them, and it will change your life.”

We extend great gratitude to everyone who was able to attend the celebration this year. Graduates, we admire you greatly and we are excited for everything you get up to in the bright futures you have ahead of you.