Graduation Date
Spring 2025
Document Type
Thesis
Program
Master of Arts degree with a major in Education
Committee Chair Name
Libbi Miller
Committee Chair Affiliation
Cal Poly Humboldt Faculty or Staff
Second Committee Member Name
Tom Cook
Second Committee Member Affiliation
Cal Poly Humboldt Faculty or Staff
Keywords
Rural education, Health career pathways, Medical sciences club, Rural health workforce development, Rural health equity, Place-based learning, Student belonging, Critical pedagogy of place, High school students, Career exploration
Abstract
Rural communities across the United States are facing critical healthcare workforce shortages, threatening access to quality care for underserved populations. Health career pathway programs offer a promising solution: a “grow our own” strategy to inspire local youth to pursue healthcare careers. However, little research has explored the role of belonging, identity development, and place-connection in strengthening these programs' outcomes. This case study investigates how participation in the Medical Sciences Club at Del Norte High School— located in rural Northern California— shapes students’, personal growth, career purpose, and rural healthcare practice intent. Through interviews with students, educators, and parents, I found that that the club fosters peer belonging, leadership development, excitement about school, and clear pathways toward health careers. Critically, students' lived experiences with health inequities, combined with an embedded social accountability curriculum, cultivate their commitment to returning and serving their rural community. Framed through a critical pedagogy of place, this study highlights how educational interventions that center belonging, identity, lived experience, and local community connection can powerfully advance both student success and rural health equity.
Citation Style
APA
Recommended Citation
Lyons, Sydney Ann, "“We are the future of this community”: exploring belonging and rural healthcare practice intent in a high school medical sciences club: a case study of rural youth identity, purpose, and place" (2025). Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects. 2268.
https://digitalcommons.humboldt.edu/etd/2268
Included in
Academic Advising Commons, Curriculum and Social Inquiry Commons, Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons, Health and Physical Education Commons, Holistic Education Commons