11 BCSD seniors graduate from PATH program in second high school cohort
Community. Opportunity. Synergy.
Those three words underscored the atmosphere in Port Royal on May 21 as 11 high school seniors – and soon to be high school graduates – celebrated their completion of the Beaufort Memorial PATH (People Achieving Their Highest) program.
This is the second cohort of Beaufort County School District seniors to graduate from the Beaufort Memorial program since the duo launched the innovative, future-oriented partnership in January 2025.
Last spring, the program saw 13 high school graduates complete the program.
“This group had the drive to challenge themselves in their last few months of school. That’s not average; that’s not ordinary,” said Beaufort Memorial President and CEO Russell Baxley, commending the 11 graduates. “You met the challenge and you stood up and said, ‘I can do this,’ even though it was difficult. And for that, you should be proud.”
During their final semester, these students traveled from their respective schools to the Beaufort Memorial PATH Career Development Center, located on the main hospital campus in Beaufort, twice a week to complete the program.
The 11 graduates all completed the Clinical Medical Assistant (CMA) track within the program, with several of them also recently passing the national certification test, too.
The graduates in this cohort include:
- Samuel Freeman
- Carter Grissom
- Kirstin Smith
- Anaya Golden
- Makayli Peebles
- Brisa Barrientos
- Oleathea Jenkins
- Yohany Suazo
- Miyeon Harden
- Willow Lowen
- Aurora Rieck
-
![Carter Grissom and Russell Baxley]()
Carter Grissom, Clinical Medical Assistant
-
![Kirstin Smith and Russell Baxley]()
Kirstin Smith, Clinical Medical Assistant
-
![Anaya Golden and Russell Baxley]()
Anaya Golden, Clinical Medical Assistant
-
![Makayli Peebles and Russell Baxley]()
Makayli Peebles, Clinical Medical Assistant
-
![Brisa Barrientos-Marquez and Russell Baxley]()
Brisa Barrientos-Marque, Clinical Medical Assistant
-
![Oleatha Jenkins and Russell Baxley]()
Oleatha Jenkins, Clinical Medical Assistant
-
![Yohany Suazo-Borjas and Russell Baxley]()
Yohany Suazo-Borjas, Clinical Medical Assistant
-
![Miyeon Harden and Russell Baxley]()
Miyeon Harden, Clinical Medical Assistant
-
![Willow Lowen and Russell Baxley]()
Willow Lowen, Clinical Medical Assistant
-
![Aurora Rieck and Russell Baxley]()
Aurora Rieck, Clinical Medical Assistant
Two of the 11 graduates, Bluffton High School seniors Suazo and Barrientos, have accepted positions at Beaufort Memorial and will begin their healthcare careers in their own community following their high school graduation.
Both graduates will also be continuing their education by attending the University of South Carolina-Beaufort while working at Beaufort Memorial. “I hope you grow here,” Baxley added. “I hope you take advantage of everything that Beaufort Memorial has to offer, whether it’s continuing your education in the PATH program, or our housing opportunities or childcare – grow where your feet are planted.”
The PATH program was recognized by Becker’s Hospital Review as one of the top education and simulation programs in the nation. It’s a “unique” opportunity, said BCSD Superintendent Dr. Frank Rodriguez.
“We have a great partnership with Beaufort Memorial,” he said. “Our organizations are always looking to find ways to support the community that we are blessed to serve. These organizations coming together to provide our students with a path forward is really unique, and career and technical education programs like this give our students real-life, real-world experience – and that is a gift.”
Karen Gilbert, Career and Technical Education Director with BCSD, highlighted the idea of “synergy” and the collaboration between the two community organizations.
“Graduation is coming up, and when you walk across that stage and take that diploma that you earned, you’ll have earned something else that many others haven’t,” Gilbert said. “You’ve earned your CMA, and the fact that you earned it through a prestigious hospital system like Beaufort Memorial – that’s a big deal.”
In January 2025, Beaufort Memorial and the BCSD partnered to offer an opportunity for high school seniors who are enrolled in a Health Sciences completer program to participate in the health system’s PATH program tuition-free.
“Our traditional PATH program is an investment into our employees here at Beaufort Memorial,” explained Beaufort Memorial Director of Education Joy Solomon, MSN, RN, NPD-BC. “But our high school program is an investment into our community. This program creates a pathway for the community to care for the community, and we thank you for letting us be a part of that.”
Learn more about career growth through the Beaufort Memorial PATH program or explore open positions.