BRUNSWICK, Ohio — Representatives from more than 35 schools, hospitals, physical therapy facilities and medical laboratories, along with first responders and military personnel, lined the halls of Brunswick High School Feb. 5 for the school’s 2026 Healthcare Expo.
The event brought together healthcare professionals, companies and colleges to showcase career opportunities across the healthcare industry for Brunswick high school students.
Superintendent Jason Niedermeyer called the expo a “valuable opportunity (for students and parents) to connect with real healthcare professionals and see potential career paths firsthand.
“When students talk directly with experts in the field, they gain practical insights that help them make informed decisions about their futures,” he said.
Registered dietitian and nutritionist Amanda Liptak said she welcomed the opportunity to showcase at the expo.
She said it gave her the chance to both educate students and families about nutrition and to talk to them about her industry, which she said has a projected 6 to 7 percent growth rate.
Liptak said that while the pathway to a career as a nutritionist or registered dietitian can take time — with bachelor’s and master’s degrees both mandatory and more states requiring licensure — the career is both rewarding and well paid.
According to a press release from the district, the Brunswick High School Healthcare Expo follows last year’s successful Engineering Expo, which drew approximately 200 students.
The initiative was a collaborative effort among the high school, local healthcare professionals and the Medina County Economic Development Corp. to expose students to diverse healthcare career paths beyond traditional roles.
The event included various healthcare sectors, including medicine, nursing, dentistry, healthcare IT, business administration, research, physical therapy, veterinary science, mental health and public health.
Cara Craddock, a diagnostic medical sonography student at Lorain County Community College, demonstrated an astonishingly realistic faux sonogram machine that visitors could test drive.
“It demonstrates how to (perform) a scan and the dexterity (required) — without a real patient,” Craddock said.
She added that events like the healthcare expo can be life-changing for students.
For example, Craddock said, when she discovered the LCCC sonogram program, she knew she wanted to work in the medical field, but was not a big fan of needles or blood.
Program Coordinator Michelle Yuhasz said LCCC partners with many area high schools to offer College Credit Plus courses, adding that it is part of the college’s mission to visit “as many high schools as possible” with information on its offerings.
Brunswick High School senior Ava Kish, who plans to pursue a career in pediatric nursing, called the healthcare expo “very helpful.”
Her mother, Jennifer Kish, also works in the medical field.
“This is great,” she said as she operated the LCCC sonogram. “I wish they had it when I was in school.”
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