My SPS Story: Anna Gillham, Health Sciences Academy student
Jan. 27, 2023
“One of my favorite days at school ever was when I was in fifth grade at the Academy of Exploration. We were completing a downtown scavenger hunt, and we all ended up together at the fountains. I remember not knowing a lot of the kids except my one friend who came with me from Sequiota, but my teachers worked so hard to build relationships and connections. By the end of the year, it was like a family.
I had such a great time at Academy of Exploration that when I heard about Health Sciences Academy at Mercy, I knew I wanted to come here. It’s just 40 of us, but we have a lot of fun. I really enjoyed touring the Labor and Delivery floor of Mercy Hospital. It was kind of eye-opening, all of the machinery and technology they use, what they can do. I was very unfamiliar with the hospital and all the careers, but it’s cool to learn about them.
Since I was a kid, I’ve always wanted to work with animals or humans in the medical field. And AOE and Health Sciences Academy really try to make it fun for you to learn. They make it really interactive and intriguing to learn more about medicine. The jobs, the technology, what they all do. It’s unbelievable all of what doctors do in real life in their real jobs. We have at least one guest speaker a week, who shares their real-life experiences. I really love helping people, mostly kids, so pediatrics is something I’m looking at a lot.
It may seem scary to go to a magnet school, but the teachers do so much to make you feel more comfortable. I have friends here, and it’s just us. At AOE, it was just us, and we did everything together. Even though I didn’t want to go into engineering after AOE, I still had so many great experiences. I still learned so much, and I had so much fun.
Next year, I’m headed to Parkview. I’m excited about going to high school and working toward my future career. I have an end goal of going into medicine, and I’m excited to really get started. All the experiences at magnet schools help me know what I want to do next, and I’m ready to get started.”
-- Anna Gillham, eighth grader at Health Sciences Academy