Chandler senior Paige Navarro keeps a busy schedule. Along with being the Chandler varsity
Pom team captain, she is also involved in numerous school activities, dances at a local studio,
and takes classes at Gordon Cooper Technology Center where she is the president of the PM
chapter of the Health Occupations Students of America.
Navarro says she started taking classes in the Advanced Health Career Program at GCTC
because she has always had a passion for health care. But it wasn’t until after her first year of
classes that she fell in love with it.
“I really knew it (a career in health care) was what I wanted after the first year,” she says. “The
Advanced Health classes really caught my eye because of the number of skills and knowledge I
will obtain from this program.”
Navarro says it’s the program’s teaching style that she really finds beneficial.
“I love the hands-on learning,” she says. “Our instructor, Rachel Pritchett, makes learning fun
and understandable. She adapts to each of our learning styles and has really helped me become
confident in my own abilities.”
To Navarro’s credit her instructor, Rachel Pritchett, says she is a fantastic student.
“Paige is a very dedicated, hard-working student that gives her all in everything she does,”
Pritchett says. “She will make a great member of the healthcare community as she continues in
the healthcare industry. She is a joy to have in class and I am blessed to have the opportunity to
assist her in her journey to reach her goals.”
Navarro’s goals in the healthcare industry are already being met thanks to GCTC. Paige has
already obtained her CPR, CNA, and Home Health Aide certifications. She now plans to attend
the University of Oklahoma and major in nursing.
“After receiving my RN, I plan on furthering my education and becoming a nurse practitioner,”
she says. “My dream is to specialize in pediatrics because I love working with kids of all ages!”
