Home

Bishop Noll junior looks to career in STEM

Bishop Noll junior Mariana G. has recently obtained her certified nurse aide license. At Bishop Noll, she currently takes Honors Chemistry and Principles of Biomedical Science – one of various electives available in Noll’s STEM program. The biomedical science class is designed for students with a special interest in science and the medical field. 
Calling Mariana G. a forward thinker might be an understatement. After all, she was only a sophomore at Bishop Noll Institute when she completed an outside course in becoming a certified nurse aide, a course that jump-started her hopes for a career in medicine.
 
As a current junior, Mariana has passed her final exam and received her CNA license – although she has to wait until she turns 18 to be eligible to work in an emergency room, her desired pre-college role.
 
So until then, she plans to seek work experience in clinics and nursing homes, all while continuing to advance in her STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) education at Bishop Noll that she credits for increasing her desire to make a difference in the medical arena, perhaps even as a surgeon.
 
Mariana is currently enrolled in Honors Chemistry and Principles of Biomedical Science at BNI.
 
“Biomedical science was a great class choice for me since we are learning clinical topics and also about the body,” she said. “It was easier for me to understand since I already had some knowledge of the topics we are learning.
“My CNA courses help me in my classes. I took health my sophomore year, and it was easier for me because we would learn about the body, blood, and how the body works, which I had also learned in my CNA course,” Mariana said.
 
Ms. Rebecca Dostatni ’00, Gonzalez’s Principles of Biomedical Science teacher, said the class – one of various electives available in Noll’s STEM program – is designed for those with a special interest in science and the medical field. Students research processes with an introduction to bioinformatics. They investigate the human body systems and various health conditions, including heart disease, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia and infectious diseases. A theme through the course is to determine factors that led to the death of a fictional person. 
 
Dostatni said she is “impressed that (Mariana) completed the CNA program outside of school time” at Healthcare Training Solutions in Highland.
 
“This definitely demonstrates how driven she is and also how important it is to her that she has a plan for her future,” Dostatni said. “She is a focused, pensive and motivated student. She takes the time to be thorough on her assignments and works well as a teammate in the laboratory.”
 
Mariana said the CNA course included a lot of memorization and clinical seminars. She also learned such skills as taking blood pressure, taking temperatures, how to take pulse and respirations, and more. She also took a separate CPR class to receive her CPR certification. 
 
An active student in several extracurriculars at Bishop Noll, Mariana is used to balancing her time between activities and academics. She said her classes and teachers at Bishop Noll have helped prepare her to excel in the future. 
 
“Bishop Noll has pushed me to try my hardest in all of my classes, a skill I need for when I transition to college,” she said. “My teachers challenge me in my classes, which is great because I really love and look forward to a good challenge. It pushes my excitement toward learning.
 
“In other ways, my family is a big reason why I want to succeed. I’m the youngest in a huge family, and my older siblings and cousins are always supporting me and pushing me to be the best version of myself.”
 
Interestingly, as Mariana continues to push forward, following her heart and her head, perhaps it’s no coincidence her ultimate goal would be to become a cardiac surgeon or neurosurgeon. She said after high school, she would love to attend Stanford University or Purdue University on a pre-med track.
 
However, she has not ruled out studying aerospace/robotics engineering.
 
“I love both engineering and medicine, which makes it very hard to decide,” Mariana said. “Of course, I’m leaning toward medicine because of my CNA program, but I’m also planning on attending a weeklong course at Purdue over the summer to get a feel for engineering as well, since I love building and figuring out how things work. 
 
“I also plan to get a minor in Spanish because it is my first language. I’m very big on representing my culture since you don’t see many Hispanic/Latino doctors and engineers. I hope to be very successful in my career by taking on any opportunities that are shown to me.”
--Originally published 1/10/23
Back
Bishop Noll Institute, a diverse, Catholic college preparatory school, partners with local faith communities to empower young adults to live their faith in Christ through ministry, scholarship, and leadership.