PULSE event introduces students to professional health pathways
Students interested in health careers received an inside look at the numerous paths into the field during Texas A&M University-Victoria’s PULSE (Pathway to Understanding Life Sciences and Education) event designed for both high school and college students.
PULSE brought together a wide range of local healthcare partners and professional representatives Tuesday to showcase career options and explain the education, experience and testing required to get there.
The event was supported by Alcoa Foundation, which funded $50,000 over the course of two years to support PULSE, marine science field trips for Calhoun County ISD and the Math & Robotics Awareness Day event held earlier this spring.
“We are so appreciative of Alcoa’s long-term partnership and support, particularly with this being a first-time event,” said Amber Countis, A&M-Victoria vice president for Advancement & External Relations. “We’re excited to see how this will grow and help students in our community.”
Students at the event had the chance to hear from and interact with professionals representing careers in nursing, public health, physical therapy, medicine, counseling, pharmacy, optometry and nutrition, said Jennifer Ortiz Garza, A&M-Victoria director of development.
Sponsors played a key role in bringing the event to life. A representative from Alcoa Foundation was recognized during the event, while Jason’s Deli and Canteen provided drinks for students.
Representatives from area institutions and agencies walked students through degree pathways, certifications and training programs to help them understand what it takes to pursue each profession. From clinical roles to counseling and community health, the event covered the different healthcare options for a wide range of interests and strengths, Ortiz Garza said.
“I hope this event will keep young people curious about their future,” Ortiz Garza said. “And wanting to consider different options for their future.”
The event opened with a spirited welcome from A&M-Victoria President Christian Hardigree at Walker Auditorium filled with high school students from Victoria East High School, St. Joseph High School, Palacios High School., Tidehaven High School and Hallettsville High School.
To keep the crowd of young students engaged, students were handed notepads, pens and color-coded paddles for rapid-fire yes/no questions throughout the day. The paddles, purple for yes and green for no, turned the room into a quick-response audience to help presenters gauge familiarity with topics, interests and future plans.
The first panel of the event included representatives from the Victoria County Health Department and Workforce Solutions Golden Crescent. Representatives from the health department included director David Gonzales and registered nurse Teresa Gonzales. The representative from Workforce Solutions Golden Crescent was executive director Henry Guajardo.
Representatives from the second panel included Dr. Robert Alcasabas, chief of optometry at the Victoria Eye Center; Jackie Adamek, physical therapist in the DeTar Healthcare System; Malachi Cotter, exercise physiologist at Citizens Medical Center; Bryan McAdams, director of Rehabilitation Services at Citizens Medical Center; and Kayla Niemeier and Kristen Schroeder, clinical pharmacists in the DeTar Healthcare System.
The panel talked about their career paths, education and training requirements, in addition to their day-to-day work and emerging trends like artificial intelligence and telehealth. They also emphasized the flexibility and variety of available healthcare careers and the importance of ongoing learning and how students can find a path that fits their strengths and lifestyle.
The third panel consisted of licensed professional counselor Mark Kelly; Dr. Julia Flores, family medicine physician at Citizens Medical Center; and Jessica Heller, family nurse practitioner in the DeTar Healthcare System. The panel gave students an insights into mental and physical health care, from counseling to family medicine and outlining what these professionals do, where they work and the education it takes to get there.
The fourth session included Marcie Kucera, Healthy South Texas and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension health agent; Bailee Curry, clinical nutrition manager; and Melissa Miller, registered nurse with the DeTar Healthcare System.
The fifth, and final panel consisted of three physicians who are currently going through their residencies in the DeTar Healthcare System and Marissa Rubio, program coordinator for the DeTar Family Medicine Residency Program and 2025 BBA alumni from the university. The physicians took questions from students regarding how to get into medical school, the challenges they faced while in school and how they handle their residencies.
Brooke Feulner was one of the many students at PULSE. Only a junior at Victoria East High School, she is already scoping out potential opportunities to map out a path that keeps her close to home while opening doors for a healthcare career in the future.
Throughout the event, she has learned about multiple career options and discovered that nearly all of them sound appealing, she said. Nursing and physical therapy have risen to the top of her list, with postpartum nursing holding a special pull. She is also drawn to veterinary medicine, thanks to a lifelong love of animals.
After high school, she plans to stay local to pursue her higher education where she values the affordability and sense of community, she said. While she is still exploring specific degree options, she is confident that nursing will anchor her academic journey, Feulner said. Long term, she is aiming beyond a bachelor's degree and envisions herself earning a master’s degree as part of her goals.
“Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve always cared for people,” Feulner said. “I’ve always wanted to help people out.”
Texas A&M University-Victoria, located in the heart of the Coastal Bend region since 1973 in Victoria, Texas, offers courses leading to more than 50 academic programs in the colleges of Business, Education & Health Professions, Liberal Arts & Social Sciences, and Natural & Applied Science. A&M-Victoria provides face-to-face classes at its Victoria campus, as well as online classes that students can take from anywhere. The university supports the American Association of State Colleges and Universities Opportunities for All initiative to increase awareness about state colleges and universities and the important role they have in providing a high-quality and accessible education to an increasingly diverse student population, as well as contributing to regional and state economic development.