What does a normal day in EDGE look like for you?

“I spend 2-3 class periods working on internships or projects.”

What skills have you learned while in EDGE that may help you in the workforce/real world?

“I learned proper email etiquette and how to manage my time better.”

Would you recommend EDGE to other students?

“Yeah, EDGE is a place for everybody to get experiences in workplace learning.”

What do you like most about EDGE?

“I like meeting new people and learning new skills.”

What does a normal day in EDGE look like for you?

“Working on sports writing and stats/job shadowing PE teachers.”

What skills have you learned while in EDGE that may help you in the workforce/real world?

“Communicating with adults and sending lots of emails."

Would you recommend EDGE to other students?

“Yes, if you don't know what career path to go down it's a great way to find out and if you do know then it's a great way to find out what to do to get to that career.”

What do you like most about EDGE?

“Getting to choose your own projects and to experience the working world while in high school.”

"Hello, I’m Will Judge and I am a student in EDGE here at Boone High School. I wasn’t sure what EDGE was until I saw some of the things my classmates were doing. I always thought EDGE was for those kids interested in business, by joining EDGE I was able to observe and communicate with physical therapists.

Before I got involved with EDGE, I did a little job shadowing on my own. My first-time job shadowing was when I was a sophomore. I observed my Mom’s physical therapist at Ames McFarland Clinic. When she was on breaks between patients I would ask her questions I had regarding the things she did with her patients and why. I also asked her, what she liked and disliked about her job and what path she took to get to where she is. 

In the summer of my junior year, I started observing one of my Aunt’s friends who is a physical therapist assistant. My aunt’s friend went through different aspects of out-patient care,  in-patient care, acute care, and geriatrics care. I asked her if she would recommend becoming a PTA or a PT. After talking with her I was more interested in becoming a PTA but understood the flaws with becoming one. 

During the summer of my junior year, I observed a new outpatient clinic in Boone called 21st-century REHAB. There I talked to a PT and a PTA. While talking to both, I discovered that a PTA is not the path to take, because financially PTA services aren’t going to be paid for in the future by Medicare. In order to become specialized in an area, a therapist has to go through and take classes to learn about the therapy and then have to take regular classes every so often to keep up a certification or have it renewed.

Joining EDGE allowed me to see what an entrepreneurship business looks like. In EDGE, I had the opportunity to observe One-to-One therapy. There I learned how the business side to PT works and what it is like to run a business. I believe EDGE has helped me to pursue becoming a physical therapist more than I would have on my own. When I graduate in May of 2021, I will know what I need to study to pursue physical therapy. EDGE as well has given me the opportunity to see what being a business owner of a physical therapy clinic is like. This is great because as I have been observing different clinics and wanting to become a therapist, it has sparked my interest in becoming an entrepreneur in my own physical therapy clinic. Joining EDGE has given me the opportunity to not only see what I want to become but meet some pretty amazing people with who I’ve gotten to know and develop relationships. I am extremely thankful for EDGE and all it has provided me with."

Hello! I’m ShyAnne Brogden and I’m and EDGE Advanced student at Boone High. My future plans are to attend DMACC and Iowa State to obtain my bachelors in animal science. I will then take that degree and use it to apply for veterinary school and work towards my dream of becoming a small animal veterinarian.

I went into the EDGE program wanting to be a veterinarian technician and was unsure if I wanted to practice with small, large, or mixed clinics. Through the hard work of Mrs. Hyman despite difficult covid challenges she found me a placement at the Pet Medical Center in Ames. I went there 3 days a week for about 4 hours a day. I also spent a few days over the course of about four months in Jefferson at the mixed animal practice there. I had the opportunity to help in routine and emergency appointments for both large and small animals, I also got to see some very unique cases and got to observe some surgeries as well. I was also a part of the transition of the clinic owner which is a very rare thing to experience in the veterinary field that helped me to learn a lot about the business side of owning and operating a clinic.

All of this experience came full circle in February when I applied in Gilbert at the Companion Animal Clinic where I was hired as a care team member. I am now working about 25-30 hours a week. As a care team member I assist in routine appointments, take x-rays, help prepare lab samples, assist in emergency and after hours procedures, prepare prescriptions, care for boarding animals and much more. I do all of this while keeping accurate records, practicing proper customer service, cleaning and disinfecting, and practicing safe handling procedures to keep myself, my coworkers and most importantly our patients safe. After graduation I will be full time during the summer at this clinic and will continue to work there throughout my secondary education.

My EDGE experience gave me opportunities and connections that are near to impossible to obtain without inside connections, none of which I had. These opportunities have taught me great networking, communication, and practical life skills. Through the connections I made I realized my dream of becoming a small animal veterinarian and not a technician. I will be forever grateful for this program and the opportunities it gave me.