May 3, 2022

Hinds helps allied health student on career path

Bolton has attended Hinds on three scholarships and is president of the Alpha Iota Kappa chapter of Phi Theta Kappa honor society at the Jackson Campus-Nursing/Allied Health Center.
BY: Danny Barrett Jr.

Chloe Bolton, 19, of Brandon, has enjoyed all things science all through her school-age years, with her choice of a college major being no different.

“I chose Medical Laboratory Technology because it is a little bit more behind-the-scenes than nursing,” Bolton said. “It has more of the science aspect of the field that I like, such as doing dilutions and looking at things under microscopes.”

On May 11 she is being awarded an Associate in Applied Science in the discipline and plans to pursue a bachelor’s degree at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. The past few weeks of completing her necessary clinicals have reinforced her passion for the healthcare field.

“We’ve gotten a lot of hands-on in our clinical rotations to end this semester,” she said. “We do all the five major parts of the lab, which include microbiology, blood banking, chemistry and hematology and urinalysis. We also do a phlebotomy rotation and need a certain number of sticks on patients while being supervised.”

Bolton speaks to nursing and allied health graduates on May 11 in the first of four ceremonies over two days at the Muse Center on the Rankin Campus. In all, 734 will participate in ceremonies at the Muse Center and on May 14 inside J.D. Boyd Gymnasium at the Utica Campus. Credentials will be conferred to 1,317 graduates in all.

The human touch in Bolton’s instruction has been stellar, she said, as Hinds instructors have allayed her fears in interacting with patients for the first time.

“I’m learning to relate to people in the job when they’re scared of what we do,” she said. “I’ve had great instructors who made sure I was confident in what I was doing. It made it easier to learn.” Learning her science at Hinds has been her best decision yet, she said.

“At first, it was hard to figure out whether I wanted to come to a community college first,” she said. “I’m a great student and excel in everything. But coming here has been a lot less expensive and has offered a lot during the pandemic to make sure students have resources and funding for school.”

Bolton has attended Hinds on three scholarships and is president of the Alpha Iota Kappa chapter of Phi Theta Kappa honor society at the Jackson Campus-Nursing/Allied Health Center. Those titles come with responsibility, but it’s come easy, thanks to her instructors.

“They’re good about telling us about scholarships and reminding us to take advantage of them,” she said. Bolton is already thinking about what she’ll tell graduates when she addresses them on graduation day. “I put a lot of pressure on myself, but it’s been tough to do that the past few years with everything that’s gone on,” she said. “I’ll just tell them to extend themselves some grace but keep going even when things don’t look like they’re shaping up for the best. They eventually will.”

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Photo: Angie Foote

RAYMOND – Hinds Community College Hi-Steppers have been named for 2024-2025.

They are, front, from left, Denver Jackson of Jackson, Zoe Irving of Jackson, Alexis Marts of Flowood, Amia Lewis of Byram, Cheyenne Cornelius of Clinton, Malayah Evans of Newton County, Erin Lollis of Byram, Skylar Boyd of Jackson and Jayda Graham of Flowood; back row, Alexis Malone of Clinton, Ciera Pruitt of Gulfport, Olivia Broadwater of Pearl, Chloee Haley of Clinton, Rylan Liles of Vicksburg, Chloe McHann of Clinton, Cori Turner of Jackson, Reaghan Miller of Clinton and Jakayla Brown of Utica.

The group has a new director, Beka King of Pearl. She is only the third director in the 75-year history of the Hi-Steppers. She herself was a Hi-Stepper from 2013-2015 and, during her sophomore year, she was captain of the team.

Hinds offers affordable, comprehensive educational opportunities across six campus locations and has nearly 500 academic classes guaranteed to transfer to a university, over 65 career and technical program options and an extensive array of online courses. Applications for general admissions are currently being accepted. Prospective students are encouraged to apply and explore enrollment steps at hindscc.edu/enroll.

Our Mission: Hinds Community College is committed to moving people and communities forward by helping develop their purpose, passion and profession.

Our Vision: Hinds Community College will be a catalyst to create a competitive economy and a compelling culture for Mississippi.

Our Values: Hinds Community College aspires to the following IDEALS: Integrity, Diversity, Excellence, Accountability, Leadership, Stewardship.

To learn more, visit www.hindscc.edu or call 1.800.HindsCC.