Ingleside at King Farm Celebrates First Graduates of CNA Training Program for High School Students

Dr. William Leahy (center-back) with the first group of Ingleside at King Farm CNA Graduates

Rockville Mayor Bridget Newton joined Gaithersburg High School Principal Christine Handy, Montgomery College Nursing Instructor Linda Hall, and program founder Dr. William Leahy, along with Ingleside at King Farm staff and residents, to celebrate and honor the graduates of the inaugural class of a 15-week career-launching training program that prepared 15 local high school students for employment as certified nursing assistants.
Some graduates of the program will have the opportunity to interview at Ingleside at King Farm for a position upon passing the certification exam in late January or early February.

The program was developed by and funded through the generosity of Dr. Leahy, a physician who serves on the Ingleside board of directors, through a partnership with Montgomery College and Gaithersburg High School.
“Developing the skills to become a certified nursing assistant is a great way for young people to break into the health care field,” said Dr. Leahy. “We are very proud of our first set of graduates, who are now prepared to find gainful employment, and look forward to continuing to work with students in the future to prepare them for careers in the growing health care industry.”

Students accepted to the program were able to participate on a tuition-free basis, with the program being fully funded by the High School Health Education Foundation. Dr. Leahy is the president and founder of the foundation, which he started more than a decade ago in Prince George’s County.

The students began coursework for the program last September and it was administered by Montgomery College’s Workforce Development and Continuing Education. The program provided students with clinical experiences on weekends, where they practiced under the supervision of their instructor and the nursing staff in Ingleside at King Farm’s Comprehensive Care Center.

The second round of the program will take place in fall 2016, with recruitment to start this March. Gaithersburg High School students or parents who would like more information about the program are asked to contact Kim Curtis at Kim_Curtis@mcpsmd.org.

About Christen Milstead

Christen Milstead is the director of marketing for Ingleside, a not-for-profit parent organization to Ingleside at Rock Creek, Westminster at Lake Ridge, Ingleside at King Farm, Westminster Ingleside Foundation, and Ingleside at Home. She graduated from University of Maryland, Baltimore County from Erickson School of Aging with a master's degree in management of aging services and from Towson University with a bachelors in Business Administration, with a concentration in marketing. She is also CASP (Certified Aging Services Professional) Certified.

View all posts by Christen Milstead