Investing in future leaders

At just 16, Jazzalyn Fuller never pictured herself gaining real experience in a hospital.

But as part of Baptist Health’s Tipping the Scale program, she spent her senior year learning various hospital roles, including cardiovascular critical care.

Jazzalyn is one of thousands of students who have participated over the 28 years of Baptist’s Tipping the Scale: Connecting Students to Careers, a program designed to inspire, prepare and connect high school students interested in careers in health care.

“Being a part of Tipping the Scale has helped me grow in so many ways. I've become more confident, more responsible, and more willing to step outside of my comfort zone,” said Jazzalyn, who recently graduated from Andrew Jackson High School and is now attending Concord Career Institute and majoring in medical sonography. “Learning about health care in school is one thing, but actually being there and working alongside professionals is a completely different experience.”

History of mentorship

Tipping the Scale launched in 1998 as a collaboration between Baptist Health and The Bridge of Northeast Florida. The program has since grown from a small summer employment initiative serving eight students to a comprehensive mentoring and career readiness program that has helped more than 2,800 students across Northeast Florida.

In 2024, the program transitioned to a school day, workplace-based mentoring model by collaborating with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Florida as part of the Beyond School Walls initiative. The organization recruits students, provides nationally recognized mentor training, and manages student enrollment and mentor matching.

High school juniors and seniors participate in monthly mentoring sessions at Baptist Health during the school day, gaining firsthand exposure to health care careers. Each session is designed to help students explore career opportunities while building the professional and life skills needed for future success.

The program primarily serves students enrolled in Health Science Career and Technical Education pathways. Students also have the opportunity to participate in a paid summer internship at Baptist Health, which allows them to apply what they’ve learned, develop valuable workplace skills and gain meaningful hands-on experience alongside health care professionals. Students also receive job readiness training, including resume writing, interview practice, money management skills, and more.

“We’re committed to creating pathways that connect young people to meaningful career opportunities while strengthening the future health care workforce,” said Katie Ensign, vice president of Community Impact for Baptist Health. “Through mentorship, hands-on experiences and relationship-building, students gain valuable skills, broaden their horizons and see firsthand what a career in health care can look like.”

Paul Cook, youth development project manager for Baptist Health Community Health & Well-Being and manager of Tipping the Scale, said students and mentors stay connected even after program completion.

“We get to see students blossom in their career interests,” said Cook, who was a teacher and worked for Duval and Miami-Dade County Public Schools for 18 years prior to coming to Baptist Health. “Some students have no idea what they want to do within health care. A lot of times, they only think about being a doctor or nurse, but there are so many different careers within the health care system, both clinical and non-clinical.”

For the 2025-2026 school year, there were 19 students from Andrew Jackson High School and 19 mentors with Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville who participated in the program, 29 students from Yulee High School and 14 mentors with Baptist Medical Center Nassau, and 22 students from KIPP Bold City High School and 10 mentors with Baptist Medical Center South.

Sara Alford, MA, chief executive officer of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Florida, said research shows that intentional mentoring programs have positive impact on students’ personal, academic and economic outcomes.

Program relates to graduation success

In the 2025-2026 school year, Alford said, 100% of participating students experienced on-time grade promotion, and all seniors graduated with a plan for their future. Additionally, there were 49 students who gained valuable professional experience as paid summer interns.

“As a result, not only are these teens making positive behavior choices and being more engaged in their academic experience and invested in their own success, but also they are truly being impacted by the community and inspired by the guidance and consistency from incredible mentors within Baptist Health,” Alford said.

Alford added that watching students grow in professionalism, self-assuredness and ambition, and seeing them find their vision post-high school, is fulfilling.

“Vision creates hope for the future, community connectedness for our young people, and an opportunity for collaborators, like Baptist Health, to identify the young talent of today and train them to be our leaders of tomorrow,” Alford said.

Support for the future

Jazzalyn said the program helped her set goals for herself and gave her the support and encouragement she needed. She also said her mentor, Noemi Cintron, Baptist Health cardiovascular operating room circulating nurse, was especially helpful throughout the program.

“She was always there to guide and encourage me, and I’m very grateful for the time and support she gave me,” she said.

Cintron became a mentor last year because she wanted an opportunity to give back and help inspire the next generation.

“Mentoring Jazzalyn has been incredibly rewarding,” Cintron said. “I’ve loved being able to share my experience with her, introduce her to different areas of health care and help her discover opportunities she may not have known were available. It’s also helped me grow as a mentor and teacher.”

Cintron plans to continue supporting Jazzalyn as she explores future career and professional development opportunities.

“Watching her learn, build relationships and become more confident has been one of the best parts of this experience,” Cintron said. “I’m excited to continue cheering her on and see where her future takes her.”

To learn more about the work Baptist Health does in the community and investing in the future generation, go to BaptistJax.com/Community.