Innovative program helps Milwaukee students graduate high school with medical certification. Six Milwaukee students are graduating from high school with a head start on a career in the medical field. The students, who hail from Rufus King High School, Marquette University High School, Golda Meir School and three other schools, recently completed a grant-funded K-12 Medical Assistant pathway program. The program was created through an innovative partnership by MedCerts, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee and Froedtert Hospital. The students were honored during a graduation ceremony at the Ready Center, 518 W. Cherry St., on May 27. Jennifer Kolb, vice president of partnerships and workforce development at MedCert, said the students learned medical skills like how to test blood pressure, took classes such as human anatomy and got clinical hands-on experience at Froedtert Hospital. They participated in the pathway while still enrolled in their full-time classes. "They graduate from high school with their high school diploma and a certificate," Kolb said. "They could go work at hospitals, at clinics, at long-term care facilities; they could work in a variety of places." Kolb said Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee also provides support to students in the pathway with material needs like food and housing. After high school, some students plan to stay near and others are going far - but all are interested in pursuing a career in the medical field. Meet some of the graduates. AJ Egerson Alexander "AJ" Egerson, a senior at Marquette University High School, said he is passionate about mental health in his community. "In Black communities mental health often gets overlooked," Egerson said. He wants to make an impact by becoming a psychiatric nurse practitioner and opening his own clinic. "I saw (the medical pathway) as an opportunity to get my foot in the field," Egerson said. Egerson is moving south to attend the University of Alabama at Birmingham to get a bachelor's degree in nursing, where he can also earn his master's degree in psychiatric nursing at the same time. Before he leaves, Egerson will continue to work in the field this summer with Froedtert Hospital. Aubree Cathey Hearing about her grandma's experiences as an anesthesiologist for the Army made Rufus King High School senior Aubree Cathey want to follow in her footsteps into the medical field. "I really wanted to be in the operating room," she said. "But I don't have much of a steady hand." She saw the medical assistant pathway as an opportunity to get hands-on experience beyond job shadowing. She said she enjoyed meeting students from other Milwaukee schools and learning alongside a supportive community. Cathey will attend the North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in the fall to pursue a degree in biology. She's also looking forward to playing on the school's tennis and softball teams. She said her school's campus clinic is hiring a medical assistant and the certification from the program sets her up well to apply. "I'm really excited to hopefully get into there," Cathey said. Maryan Mohamed Maryan Mohamed said the Medical Assistant pathway program taught her about ethics and laws in the medical field and showed her what it's like to work in a hospital. She said it took a lot of work to balance the rigors of the program with her other obligations. "Balancing high school, work and extracurricular activities while being at medical assistant school," Mohamed said. "It was hard juggling all of those at once." She said that throughout her time in the program her classmates helped motivate her when the work got hard. Mohamed plans to attend the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee to pursue a degree in radiology. Alex Klaus is the education solutions reporter for the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service and a corps member of Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues and communities. Report for America plays no role in editorial decisions in the NNS newsroom. Republish its articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license. Alex Klaus covers education and is a Report for America corps member. Previously, she covered Detroit K-12 schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. She's also reported for Outlier Media, Detroit Documenters and Bridge Detroit as a freelancer. She graduated from Wayne State University with a degree in urban studies and public history.

Six Milwaukee students graduate from high school with medical assistant certificates. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel May 30, 2026, 5:02 a.m. CT Six Milwaukee-area students are graduating from high school this year with a medical assistant certificate through a new hybrid program designed to give high schoolers job options after graduation. A new grant-funded K-12 medical assistant pathway program, led by the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee in partnership with Froedtert Health and MedCerts, serves as an entry point into the medical field and provides real hospital work experience for Milwaukee students. The certification program qualifies students to become medical assistants in the field, and the coursework can be applied toward college credits. "They will have an on or off ramp to go into the workforce or go into college," said Anthony Pineda, director of partner marketing for MedCerts. All the students worked at Froedtert Health in various capacities as a requirement for graduating from the program. Some students worked in the cafeteria, others transported patients between rooms. On Wednesday, May 27, six students completed the program and can now apply to be medical assistants in the health care field. "We are solving the health care workforce issues with this initiative," Pineda said. "We are tapping into the community, and we are helping offer a living wage out of high school for the students." Maryan Mohamed. Maryan Mohamed, 18, was drawn to the program because of her interest in the medical field. She said she wants to eventually become a radiologic technologist − a hospital position specialized in creating diagnostic images like x-rays, MRIs, and CT scans. Mohamed plans to work at Froedtert Hospital over the summer until she begins college in the fall. AJ Egerson. AJ Egerson, 18, learned about the program through his school adviser and saw it as an opportunity to "get his foot in the door," he said. Egerson said he would like to be a psychiatric nurse practitioner. Currently, he is a patient transporter, a professional who moves patients between rooms and departments. "I see mental health as an extremely important thing," he said. He will begin the nursing track at the University of Alabama at Birmingham this fall. Aubree Cathey. Aubree Cathey, 17, joined the program because of her interest in biology and medicine. "I don't think I've seen another opportunity like this to get a certification before I graduate high school," she said. She is graduating a year early and will start college in the fall at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. Geordynn Nappier. Geordynn Nappier, 18, was working as a lifeguard when she saw an email about the medical assistant program. She dug a little deeper into what a medical assistant does and decided to join the program. After graduation, Nappier plans to use her medical assistant certification over the summer and potentially this fall, once she begins studying dentistry at Xavier University of Louisiana. She wants to become an orthodontist. Summer Hopkins. Summer Hopkins, 18, said she has wanted to be a pediatrician since she was young. "I really wanted to get my foot in the door, and MedCerts opened that door," she said. Hopkins said her passion is working with children, and pediatrics was the best route for her to do so. She plans to work as a medical assistant, earning new certifications as she gains hands-on experience in the medical field. Eva Vang. Eva Vang, 18, was interested in emergency medicine and is excited to have completed the pathway program. "It was not easy balancing schoolwork and these classes, but I am glad we are celebrating the completion of it," Vang said. She will be attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the fall for clinical health and biology. Everett Eaton covers Harambee for the Journal Sentinel's Neighborhood Dispatch. Contact: [email protected]. Neighborhood Dispatch reporting is supported by Bader Philanthropies, Zilber Foundation, Journal Foundation, Northwestern Mutual Foundation, Greater Milwaukee Foundation, and reader contributions to the Journal Sentinel Community-Funded Journalism Project. Journal Sentinel editors maintain full editorial control over all content. To support this work, visit jsonline.com/support. Checks can be addressed to Local Media Foundation (memo: "JS Community Journalism") and mailed to P.O. Box 85015, Chicago, IL 60689 The JS Community-Funded Journalism Project is administered by Local Media Foundation, tax ID #36-4427750, a Section 501(c)(3) charitable trust affiliated with Local Media Association, and EnMotive, a subsidiary of USA TODAY Co.

Seraphine Kapsandoy-Jones to join Froedtert ThedaCare as chief nursing executive. May 12, 2026 Menonomee Falls, Wis. - Froedtert ThedaCare leaders are pleased to announce Seraphine Kapsandoy-Jones, PhD, RN, as the chief nursing executive and senior vice president for the health care system. In this role, Kapsandoy-Jones will serve as the senior-most nursing executive at Froedtert ThedaCare. She will drive systemwide alignment of clinical practices, foster a culture of collaboration and innovation and ensure accountability for nursing excellence. That includes focusing on driving measurable improvements in patient care, safety and workforce collaboration in partnership with executive and clinical leaders, while creating a future-ready workforce through leadership development. "Kapsandoy-Jones will help shape the future of nursing across our health system, which is dedicated to helping individuals live their unique, best lives," said Imran A. Andrabi, MD, FAAFM, president and CEO of Froedtert ThedaCare. "She has a track record of elevating nursing practice, leading transformational change and being proactive partners in health." "I was drawn to the Mission and inspired brand culture at Froedtert ThedaCare, and I look forward to the progress we can achieve in creating exceptional experiences for patients and families," Kapsandoy-Jones said. "I'm energized about being part of an organization that is committed to expanding access, reducing disparities and making health care more affordable through innovative care delivery models." Kapsandoy-Jones will oversee several nursing teams in her new role. She will work closely with other Froedtert ThedaCare leaders to ensure alignment across all sites of care. She brings robust experience of providing, shaping and leading nursing care in communities across the country. Prior to joining Froedtert ThedaCare, Seraphine served as the vice president of population health and clinical operations at Centene Corporation in St. Louis. In that role, she developed and oversaw the system's Population Health Innovation Strategy. Prior, she held various leadership roles at health care systems, including serving as a chief clinical information officer and an Adjunct Assistant Professor. She began her nursing career as a registered nurse in the Trauma and Transplant Unit in Salt Lake City. She earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing and a PhD in Nursing Informatics from the University of Utah College of Nursing. Kapsandoy-Jones will officially begin her new role at Froedtert ThedaCare on June 15, 2026. About Froedtert ThedaCare. Froedtert ThedaCare is an integrated health care system serving nearly half of Wisconsin's population. Its 28,000+ team members, physicians and clinicians are transforming communities through prediction, prevention and partnerships with excellence in primary and specialty care in 20 hospitals and more than 360 outpatient locations. Together with the Medical College of Wisconsin, Froedtert form the region's only academic medical center, providing the foundation for groundbreaking medical research and excellence in education to accelerate discovery and drive innovation. The system is uniquely positioned to be the trusted partner in advancing the health of its communities.