TULSA, Okla. (OBV) – The Tulsa Regional Chamber is not only uplifting its city’s business community, it’s also cultivating the workforce of tomorrow.
Tulsa Public Schools students are getting first-hand glimpses at promising future careers thanks to the Tulsa Regional Chamber’s Career Exploration initiative.
The initiative recently took 19 seniors from Booker T. Washington High School to Saint Francis Hospital, where they learned what a radiation tech does, the difference between a CT and an MRI and how doctors use imaging equipment to diagnose a stroke, according to Tulsa Regional Chamber officials.
Chamber Chair Bill Knight announced Career Exploration in January. The initiative takes high school juniors and seniors to local employers, giving them a look at real-world careers.
The Tulsa Regional Chamber will coordinate 10 Career Explorations in 2025. The trip to Saint Francis Hospital was the first. Rue Ramsey, the Chamber’s vice president of workforce and talent strategies, guided the Saint Francis visit.
“I always say, ‘Young people can’t aspire to be what they can’t see,’” Ramsey said. “In Tulsa, early career exploration, especially with major employers like Saint Francis, is a powerful win-win. High school students gain real-world insights while companies connect early with future local talent.”
Saint Francis Health System is not only locally owned and operated, it is also the largest health system in eastern Oklahoma and the 11th largest hospital in the nation. It employs around 13,000 people and has 1,112 beds, Saint Francis Hospital is the 11th-largest hospital in the country, said Amanda Espino, talent project manager for Saint Francis Health System.
The Booker T. Washington students learned about healthcare industry trends and education requirements to become a radiology tech during the visit. They were also introduced to diagnostic image methods that use CTs (computed tomography) and MRIs (magnetic resonance imaging).
Espino said the visit was an opportunity for students to learn about other medical jobs beyond doctors and nurses.
“There are so many opportunities where you don’t have to go to a four-year college. You can get training right out of high school. You can even start the job with your high school diploma as an imaging tech to see if it’s a field you want to go into before you commit to your studies,” Espino said. “It’s really important for Saint Francis to make others outside our health system aware of the opportunities inside of it.”
Marla Cole, the college and career advisor at Booker T. Washington, accompanied the students during the Saint Francis tour. She said students within the group are interested in different medical careers.
“We have a pretty wide range. There are a lot of things behind the scenes, like at this department, that they are not going to know about until they see it or hear about it,” Cole said. “There also are a lot of socio-economic disadvantaged students, and they don’t get exposure to anything outside their world. Part of my job is to take them places.”
Contact Rue Ramsey at (918) 560-0294, or rueramsey@tulsachamber.com, for more information on the Tulsa Regional Chamber’s Career Exploration initiative.
