At Monroe High School, the Health Sciences Academy (HSA) brings together students driven by a shared passion for healthcare—yet the journeys that lead them there and the paths they follow can be different.

Clarimar Gómez Osoria: Neurosurgery dreams

When Clarimar Gómez Osoria arrived in Monroe three years ago, she expected to pick up where she left off in the Dominican Republic—on track to finish high school and pursue her dream of becoming a surgeon.

Instead, she found herself placed in ninth grade despite being nearly a senior.

“I walked in thinking, ‘I’ve got this,’” she recalled. “Then I realized I didn’t understand anything. It was frustrating, but I knew I had to advocate for myself.”

She did just that. Within a week, she met with the school counselor, Michael Engelhard. He began the process of validating her transcripts from the Dominican Republic. By Friday, her schedule had changed. She moved from Math I to Math III. From ninth-grade classes to junior-level courses. From confused to confident.

Now, Clarimar is preparing to walk across the graduation stage with a certified nursing assistant (CNA) certification, dozens of health science credits, and a clear path to her future: to earn her nursing degree from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, then apply to medical school to become a neurosurgeon.

It’s a bold plan—but Clarimar is no stranger to hard work.

“When I was a child, I was in and out of hospitals,” she said. “I got to know my doctors and nurses well. I was always fascinated by what they did. I knew I wanted to be in medicine.”

Her frequent hospital visits weren’t due to illness but because she was an extremely picky eater.

“I didn’t like much food, and I wasn’t eating enough,” she explained. “That led to a lot of visits to the doctor.”

At Monroe, Clarimar saw students in scrubs and wondered what they were doing and how she could be part of it. That quickly turned into action. She spoke with Engelhard about her interest and enrolled in HSA, where she completed advanced coursework, gained hands-on experience, and even interned in the operating room at Atrium Health—a key partner of UCPS in the academy.

“I loved it,” she said, lighting up at the memory. “There was one surgery I almost fainted during—but after that, I couldn’t wait to go back.”

The internship confirmed what she’d suspected for years: she belonged in the operating room. As part of her experience, she also devised a system to label surgical machines with QR codes linked to usage instructions and emergency contacts—so staff could quickly access critical information without leaving the room.

Her teachers and mentors in the HSA program helped her turn obstacles into opportunities. They encouraged her when language barriers felt overwhelming and challenged her to keep pushing.

“I thought I knew English because I could sing songs and watch movies,” Clarimar said with a laugh. “But when I got here, I realized that was very different from understanding a full lesson in class.”

Still, she persisted—often spending late nights studying, reviewing vocabulary and preparing for exams.

“She has that drive you can’t teach,” said Engelhard. “Clarimar doesn’t wait for someone to open a door. She knocks until it does.”

Her next steps are just as strategic. Instead of majoring in biology, Clarimar chose nursing so she could work in the field while saving for medical school. Her CNA license, combined with her coursework, has already prepared her for clinical environments—and she’s eager to keep learning.

“It’s going to be 10 to 12 more years of school,” she said. “But I’ll be working, helping people and getting closer to my dream every day.”

That dream? To become a neurosurgeon specializing in the brain and spinal cord. Based on what she has accomplished so far, there's little doubt she'll get there.

Rocio Alcauter: Emergency ready

For Rocio Alcauter, healthcare isn’t just a career choice—it’s a calling that began in fifth grade.

“I’ve always loved babies,” she said. “I had a lot of younger siblings, and I loved taking care of them. That’s when I started thinking, ‘I want to work in a hospital one day—maybe with moms and babies.’”

Now a senior, Rocio is well on her way to turning that dream into reality. Her journey started at the Health Sciences Academy at Monroe Middle School, where she joined the health science program and has continued on a focused path ever since.

“HSA is honestly like a family,” she said. “We’re all interested in healthcare, and we support each other through everything.”

Last year, Rocio earned her CNA certification. This year, she went a step further—becoming the first Monroe High student to also complete an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) certification.

“I’m pretty set on being a nurse, but I wanted to experience something different,” Rocio said. “Being an EMT gave me another perspective—it’s faster paced and more critical. It opened my eyes to what it’s really like being a first responder.”

To complete her EMT training, Rocio worked 12-hour weekend shifts on ambulances in Monroe and Cabarrus County, responding to real emergencies. From assisting with airway management to stopping bleeding and helping administer rescue breaths, she learned the urgency and skill it takes to act in critical moments.

“Compared to CNA clinical, it was a whole different level,” she said. “We had to jump in from the start. At first, I got to watch how it all worked, but after that, they expected us to be hands-on.”

Even the downtime between calls was a learning experience.

“In Cabarrus, they had a house with couches where we could rest or do schoolwork while waiting for a call,” Rocio said. “But in Monroe, we stayed in the truck the entire 12 hours—just ready to go.”

The EMT experience strengthened her passion for nursing and gave her more confidence in her future. What helped shape her professionalism and poise even earlier, though, was ballet.

“I danced ballet for most of my life,” Rocio said. “It taught me discipline, precision and patience—qualities that carry over into healthcare. Whether you're practicing a routine or performing a medical procedure, the attention to detail is the same.”

She sees dance and healthcare as forms of art and service.

“In ballet, you’re expressing something meaningful. In healthcare, you’re doing that too—but through compassion and care.”

After graduation, Rocio will attend South Piedmont Community College to earn her associate's degree in nursing. She plans to work as a CNA in a women’s or children’s unit at a hospital while continuing her education. Her long-term goal is to become a registered nurse and complete her bachelor’s degree at Cabarrus College of Health Sciences.

“I’ve got my plan,” she said with a smile. “And I’m ready for what’s next.”

Engelhard plays a pivotal role in guiding students like Clarimar and Rocio through their Health Sciences Academy journeys.

“As the HSA counselor, I see beyond the freshman year —I’m focused on where students can be four years from now,” Engelhard said. “A lot of these students come in not realizing the opportunities available, especially many who are first-generation college-bound. This program builds their confidence and shows them they can pursue careers in the medical field. I help keep them on track, encouraging them to keep their grades up and their options open so they don’t close doors before they’re ready.”

06/04/2025