School-to-Work Program Helps Non-English-Speaking Students

After moving from Puerto Rico to Bethlehem as a high school sophomore in 2017, Genesis Santiago signed up for St. Luke’s School-to-Work (STW) Program at Liberty High School.

Later, as a student at DeSales University, Santiago worked part-time as a patient access representative at the St. Luke’s Allentown Campus emergency room, where she registered and welcomed patients, including many who primarily speak Spanish.

The STW partnership between St. Luke’s University Health Network and the Bethlehem Area School District (BASD) has expanded learning and career opportunities for local students such as Santiago for more than 25 years.  The program is open to BASD students of all backgrounds who are learning English as their second language. The eligible students are recommended by BASD staff, must be in grades 10 through 12, and be able to speak English at an advanced-beginner or intermediate level.

“After their applications are reviewed and students are interviewed by St. Luke’s staff, a cohort of 16 to 18 students are selected each year to participate in the academic/career program, which combines an integrated health-care focused English and Science curriculum that is taught at Liberty High School,” explained Diana Sanchez, St. Luke’s Workforce Development Specialist.

Founded in 1997, the initiative aims to engage at-risk students and expose them to diverse health care careers to encourage ESL (English as a Second Language) Learners to remain in school and graduate on time. Of the students who enrolled and completed the program, 92% have graduated from high school.

Santiago majored in health care administration and human resource management at DeSales University. Last summer she completed a paid internship with St. Luke’s Department of Community Health.

Born in Puerto Rico, she immigrated to the United States in 2017 when she was 13 years old.  She left her homeland after Hurricane Maria devasted the island, leaving it without power or water for an extended period. When she enrolled in the STW program, Genesis spoke limited English and was committed to academics.

“Genesis was very shy. I remember telling her that I did not know Spanish just so she could practice her language skills,” Sanchez recalls. After completing the STW program, she enrolled in regular education and college preparatory classes and graduated with a high grade-point average.

“I’m very proud of where I came from and what I’ve gone through,” Santiago said. “The challenges I have overcome have made me a better, more compassionate person. People should never exclude or look down upon others because they don’t speak English or come from somewhere else. I enjoy helping people because I’ve been in their shoes.”

Sanchez said on a typical day the STW students start with English class, learning about grammar, pronunciation and writing. They have science during the second block and learn about subjects such as the brain, body systems and healthcare. They also study disease processes and scientific advances to treat and cure diseases.

“The STW initiative very intense, entailing more than 35 hours of programming from October through May,” Sanchez said.

St. Luke’s health care professionals, such as the St. Luke’s Emergency & Transport Services flight nurse, visit the classroom and describe their roles. Students also complete rotations in various departments, such as the Cancer Center, Mother-Baby units, the Surgery suite and Post-op. Some students even witness surgeries, like a brain surgery or a knee replacement. At the end of the year, the students deliver presentations about their experiences to the School District Superintendent, teachers and St. Luke’s staff members.

“By the end of the academic year, we see consistent and significant growth in their communication and language acquisition skills, as well as their career goal development,” Sanchez said. In addition, national standardized tests that measure English proficiency, given at Liberty High School, have shown that School-to-Work students scored much higher in English language proficiency than other ESL students in their cohorts.

The School-to-Work Program is one of several programs administered by the St. Luke’s Department of Community Health to provide workplace experiences and expose high school students to careers in Health care. “More than 390 students have participated in these programs to date,” Sanchez said.

As for Santiago, she envisions a positive future. “I see myself working in a hospital; if it’s St. Luke’s, even better!” she said. “And I’d like to be in a management role.”

Upon graduating from DeSales in December, she continues to work with St. Luke’s Department of Community Health in her role as part-time Project Coordinator for Allentown Blueprint Communities.  This organization develops diverse, inclusive and welcoming environments where residents have access to safe, healthy, stable and affordable housing, family-sustaining work force opportunities, community services, plentiful neighborhood amenities and an environment that supports equitable economic growth and mobility.