CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va (CBS19 NEWS) -- The Starr Hill Pathway Program allows middle schoolers to be exposed to a variety of potential jobs they could have, and they ventured into the nursing field at the University of Virginia. 

“They’re able to really see what they like, because it might be technology, but it could be mixed with medicine. There might be a lot of intersections of things they want to do and they didn’t even know they could do it that way,” added Lucy Montalvo, the Program Director for Starr Hill Pathway.

Students were exposed to nursing, and were able to get hands-on experience with UVA Nursing students and professors.

From delivering a baby, taking blood pressure, and stitching a wound, these students were able to explore all the possibilities a day of nursing has to offer.

A day like this for students helps them discover their identity, as well as see what they want to or do not want to do as a future career.

“Visiting these simulation labs  in these areas, and having a wide, diverse representation of the people that are here, they can identify themselves by seeing someone that looks like them, speaks like them, and sees that they’re doing it, I can definitely do it, so there’s definitely no barriers to that when they’re able to experience that and see that first hand,” added  Montalvo.

For UVA, being able to host these students is rewarding to see these middle schoolers get the most out of their experience.

And having the Starr Hill students hearing from professors, students, and other leadership figures also gave them a better idea of what goes into a day to day in the school of nursing.

“But I think the most important part was they could see that anybody could do this,” added Marianne Baernholdt, the Dean of the School of Nursing at UVA. 

Starr Hill Pathways is excited to show students a variety of careers from local businesses that will help these middle schoolers figure out their passions and future occupation.