Nicole Hinds, a passionate and experienced healthcare educator at the Allegan Tech Center, has been sharing her knowledge and expertise with students for 15 years. Before transitioning into teaching, Nicole gained valuable hands-on experience working at Marquette General Hospital, where she started as a medical assistant while attending Northern Michigan University. From there, she moved into phlebotomy and eventually became a lab technician, running a wide variety of tests and working closely with a pathologist to diagnose genetic conditions.
Despite enjoying her career in healthcare, Nicole felt drawn to teaching and began her journey as an educator, teaching biology, chemistry, and physics. However, her passion for healthcare never waned, and when an opportunity arose to teach healthcare science at the Tech Center, Nicole knew it was the perfect fit.
“I love working with high school juniors and seniors, helping them map out their futures,” Nicole shares. “This role lets me combine the two things I love most—teaching and healthcare.”
At the Tech Center, Nicole’s Health Care Science Foundations program prepares students for entry-level employment in healthcare while providing a strong foundation for advanced careers in the field. Students can earn certifications in CPR, First Aid, and EKG, and gain practical experience in residential care. The curriculum covers essential topics such as HIPAA standards, infection control, basic patient care, and medical terminology. It also explores various healthcare careers, from nursing and physical therapy to biotech research and sonography.
One of Nicole’s favorite aspects of teaching is helping students discover the wide range of career opportunities within healthcare. "There are so many careers people don’t know about. I love helping kids explore their options and figure out how to get there after high school," she says.
Nicole’s own professional background deeply influences her teaching style. She strives to give her students the preparation she wished she had received, exposing them to as many healthcare experiences as possible. "I want my students to leave my class with a good idea of what they want to do and a plan for how to get there."
For Nicole, healthcare is all about helping people, and she hopes that through her teaching, the community will benefit from the healthcare professionals her students become. "We rely on healthcare professionals every day to keep our community going," she emphasizes.
Nicole's advice to those considering a career in healthcare? "Be open to new ideas. All healthcare careers have one thing in common: they help people."
As she looks ahead, Nicole hopes her students will remember their time in her class as both challenging and rewarding. She wants them to feel empowered to pursue their goals and overcome any obstacles they face along the way.
Outside the classroom, Nicole takes pride in her roots—she’s a proud Yooper! And when reflecting on the broader impact of the Tech Center, she describes it as "an amazing place where students can try a career before they invest major time or money into it."
Under Nicole’s guidance, students in the Health Care Science Foundations program are not just learning about healthcare—they are building a foundation for future success in a field that is essential to the well-being of the community.