SANFORD, NC - Walking around the First Health Healthcare Career Fair last month, there was a young face that stood out from some of the more veteran staff showing off their skills and areas of expertise for Lee County middle school students. Parker Howard, less than a year out from her graduation from Southern Lee High School, was stationed among FirstHealth Rehabilitation Services staff, actively showing physical therapy techniques and sharing information about the services provided to students just a few short years behind her.
“It is kind of funny to be out at the career fair because I really feel like I was just in their position a few months ago,” said Howard, whose bubbly personality quickly connected with many of the eighth graders making their way through the exhibits. “I just graduated from Southern Lee a year ago, so it is nice to see some familiar faces and have them look at me and ask, ‘What are you doing here on that side of the table?’ almost like I should be wearing a Southern Lee shirt, not a First Health shirt.”
Howard is serving in the Rehabilitation Services Department at First Health in Sanford working as an assistant while she takes classes at Central Carolina Community College and prepares to take her next steps at UNC-Wilmington in the spring. “First Health is really great hands on experience and it makes class way easier honestly,” said Howard, who will study exercise science with some Kinesiology at UNCW and make her way to Physical Therapy school upon her graduation.
As a high school athlete, Howard experienced a few volleyball injuries that led to some physical therapy, but she also was working out some at the First Health facility where the Rehabilitation Services team are connected. “ It really was a lot of little things that built up to it. I saw the physical therapy section that is connected. I just thought that it was super cool and I really want to be involved in that,” mentioned Howard, describing her mental path that connected herself with what she hopes to do.
“Physical Therapy really is a creative field and you get to work with so many different people from athletes to older people, younger patients. It really is just a fun career with so many different people,” explained the young Howard.
She noted that the extracurricular activities at Southern Lee really helped her be ready for her role now, which she believes to be a launching pad for her future career. Howard highlighted the soft skills she learned in the business and entrepreneurial focused DECA Club for playing a pivotal role in her readiness for the workforce.
“DECA was hugely helpful in preparing me for what I want to do. I just saw my DECA advisor here at the career fair and it was great to be able to look at her and tell her thank you for helping me get my people skills to a point where I could communicate and network with people here in Sanford to get a great job like this fresh out of high school.”