CVHS Names Fall 2024 RISE Scholarship Recipient

The Catawba Valley Health System RISE (Robust Internship Student Experiences) Program held its Fall banquet on December 10th, 2024, to celebrate 20 participating students from various Catawba County area high schools. Among the festivities included the presentation of the Eddie Beard $1000 Scholarship to Larissa Seraz as the program’s outstanding intern for the semester. Larissa, a senior from Hickory Christian Academy, completed her internship in the Oncology department at CVMC. Congratulations, Larissa!

RISE is a semester-long, intensive apprenticeship program at CVHS designed to help juniors and seniors enrolled in Catawba County high schools discover career paths in healthcare. After participating in 120 hours of observation in their chosen areas, students are honored with a banquet and the opportunity to win a $1000 scholarship provided by Catawba Medical Foundation. The scholarship is awarded to a student who excelled throughout the program, especially in the areas of problem-solving, professionalism, and leadership. Preceptors were encouraged to nominate an exceptional student and the recipient was chosen by the RISE Scholarship Committee, which is made up of organizational leadership.

An Educational Experience is an opportunity to integrate career experience into your education. In a professional setting, an educational experience gives students knowledge and skills related to their career goals by participating in strategic, supervised work. To participate in RISE, you must confirm that your school has an established Educational Affiliation Agreement (EAA) with Catawba Valley Health System, or have your school contact our Organizational Learning department to begin the process of establishing one, which typically takes four to six weeks. You must also complete a Student Experience Request via the CVHS website.

To learn more or fill out an Educational Experience Request Form, visit CatawbaValleyHealth.org/Students.