Yvonne Williams

OAKLAND TECHNICAL HIGH SCHOOL | HEAL, HIGHLAND HOSPITAL

I was raised mostly in Rockridge in Oakland. For a majority of my life it was just me, my mom, my brother, and my grandma, all in one house. Now it’s just me and my mom, because my brother grew up and moved away, and my grandma passed away last year.

My grandma and I were like peas in a pod. I have her rings on right now on a chain. I like to dedicate a lot of my successes to her, because she was a really big influence. My grandma would be so proud that I show up to my HEAL internship every day and give it my all.

I’ve always been obsessed with medical shows. It’s a thrill knowing that I get to help people and make sure they are healthy. That motivates me to want to be in healthcare.

This summer during my HEAL internship, we got to meet a nurse practitioner and a midwife. The midwife guided me toward midwifery, which is what I’m interested in. I’m also interested in being a nurse practitioner for pediatrics. I love babies. They’re really innocent and they need the most attention. And it’s important that they get the best care.

Even though we weren’t allowed to come to the hospital and really have the full HealthPATH experience because of COVID-19, they took the time to find an alternative for us so that we could still learn, and I learned a lot. I learned about vitals and good suturing, and we did a birthing simulation in the sim lab. I learned it’s important to be attentive. I learned a lot of really important stuff.

HEAL is a worthwhile program for Oakland students. A lot of internships you have to have a high GPA or stuff like that, and I’m not one of those kids. But I had the most wonderful experience this summer. Hopefully I can do it again during the school year, or maybe next summer. So you all might see me again.