Pitt County Schools Health Sciences Academy

The Brody School of Medicine High School Honors Medical Research Program participants attended an engaging seminar today led by Dr. Crotty, a local pediatrician. She enlightened students on the wide range of career opportunities within pediatrics, including roles in pharmaceuticals, public health, hospitals, and private practice.

Her presentation was both informative and interactive, incorporating group work and hands-on activities that kept students actively involved. One memorable activity challenged students to match gross motor skills with the appropriate developmental age, bringing real-world understanding to pediatric growth and development.

HSA and ECU Health Medical Center staff held Teddy Bear Hospital at Chicod School. Kindergarten and First Grade students brought their injured teddy bears to be treated by nurses. Teddy Bear Hospital is designed to reduce anxiety, provide early exposure to health careers, and increase excitement about healthcare.

Our Ambassadors volunteered with NCPacks4Patriots tonight! They packed hygiene and snack bags and unloaded a large shipment of goods.

NCPacks4Patriots welcomes volunteers and donations! Check out their page to see what they are up to and how you can help.

https://www.facebook.com/share/1Af1GmR3VW/

✨ Thank You, ECU Engineering! ✨

Our Health Sciences Academy students had a fantastic experience at the Engineering a Healthy Future event hosted by the ECU Department of Engineering! Students explored how engineering supports healthcare through faculty presentations, lab tours, and hands-on learning experiences — including biomanufacturing labs, neuroengineering demonstrations, and conversations with current engineering students.

We are grateful to ECU Engineering for inspiring our students and helping them explore future careers in healthcare and STEM!

📸 Check out photos from this amazing experience below!

Check out the links below to learn more about the exciting opportunities at ECU Engineering:

*ECU Department of Engineering https://cet.ecu.edu/engineering/
*Bioengineering & Pharmaceutical Industry (Dr. Loren Limberis, Director of Eastern Region Pharma Center) https://pharma.ecu.edu/

*Prosthesis (ECU Helping Hands student organization) https://news.ecu.edu/2025/06/24/ecu-engineering-students-help-develop-prototype-to-support-amputees-in-africa/

*Neuroengineering (Dr. Sunghan Kim) https://cet.ecu.edu/2024/07/25/future-of-research

HSA Student Health Advisory Committee (SHAC) members attended yesterday’s Legislative Education meeting at SCHS. These student leaders give their perspectives on what is going on in the schools and make recommendations for improvements. What a great opportunity!

🎉 Happy National School Counseling Week 2026! 🎉

From February 2–6, 2026, we proudly celebrate National School Counseling Week, sponsored by the American School Counselor Association (ASCA), with the theme “School Counselors Amplify Student Success.”

Today, we recognize and thank our incredible Health Sciences Academy School Counselors, Latoira Rodgers and Holly Wilson, for the vital role they play in supporting our students every single day. Their dedication, guidance, and advocacy help students achieve academic success, navigate challenges, and plan confidently for their future careers.

School counselors make a lasting difference—empowering students, strengthening our school community, and ensuring every learner has the support they need to thrive. We are truly grateful for the compassion, commitment, and impact of our counselors.

💙Thank you for amplifying student success!💚

Future healthcare leaders in the making! Our Brody School of Medicine High School Honors Medical Research students are learning about stroke awareness and interventions today from a dedicated M2. The presentation was presented by Nesha Shrishail. She led them through a case study.

HSA students visited the ECU College of Nursing. They had the opportunity to learn from Travis Chabo, PhD, MSN, CRNA, Christopher T. Grubb, MD, MBA, and current CRNA students about career opportunities in surgery and anesthesiology, as well as the educational pathways to get there. They even visited the simulation lab to watch a surgical simulation. What a fantastic learning opportunity!

The Maynard Children's Hospital toy drive that took place on Wednesday, December 10th, was a HUGE success! We would like to say "thank you" to the HSA students, their families, community members, and PCS Federal Programs for your generous toy donations! The Health Sciences Academy delivered 2,866 toys to the Maynard Children's Hospital!! Thank you for supporting the Maynard Children's Hospital and the Health Sciences Academy!

🌊 What an incredible day at MarineQuest!

Our students had an unforgettable field trip exploring the amazing world of marine science. From hands-on activities to inspiring conversations with real scientists, the day was packed with discovery and excitement!

🔬 We learned how plankton power ocean ecosystems and got an up-close look at the diverse organisms living in the fouling community.
🐚 Students were fascinated to learn about cone snail venom research and how it may lead to new, non-addictive pain-killer replacements.
🧫 We even heard about sand-dwelling bacteria that show promise in inhibiting drug-resistant breast cancer cells—science in action!
🐢 And one of the highlights: listening to microbiologists share their work in sea turtle biology, marine pharmaceuticals, and so much more.

A huge thank-you to the MarineQuest team for sparking curiosity and opening doors to future STEM careers. Our students left inspired, informed, and excited to keep exploring the ocean’s secrets! 🌟🌊