news & notes
Kosciusko-Attala Celebrates First Doctoral Graduates By Landon Gibson The Kosciusko Star-Herald The Kosciusko-Attala Career Tech Center (KACTC) has offered the health science program for quite a few years now, with the last 13 years under the leadership of instructor Amy Price. Last year, Price and the CTC delighted in the fruits of their labor, represented by D’Allegra Cochran and Abigail Joiner Wiltshire — the first health science graduates under Price who have gone on to earn their doctoral degrees. The two-year program has also spawned many nurses, medical technicians and others with successful careers in the medical field. A few have already begun medical school or have previously been accepted. COCHRAN Cochran knew she wanted to go into health care but was uncertain about which avenue she wanted to pursue. She said part of the health science program’s curriculum involves choosing two medical professions and observing professionals in those areas to earn observation hours. She chose radiology
tech and occupational therapy, but her heart decided on the latter. “I like radiology, but then when I started doing my observation hours for occupational therapy, I was like, ‘Okay, I really like this,’” said Cochran. After graduating from Kosciusko High School, Cochran attended the University of Mississippi, where she
“One of my clients will come in with a diagnosis that I practically know nothing about, but I can break it down based on the lessons that we had in her class. A lot of clients that I have are children of various ages with various diagnoses. One of them came in diagnosed with a cancer that I was not too familiar with, but I broke down what the word meant based on knowledge I learned in health science.” - D’Allegra Cochran
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Summer 2022
graduated with a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology and exercise science. She still had an interest in occupational therapy, and she already had prerequisite classes under her belt. After earning acceptance into the occupational therapy program at the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) in Jackson, Cochran spent three years there before graduating and completing her certification earlier this year. She currently holds her doctoral degree in occupational therapy and works as an occupational therapist at Southern Pediatric Therapy in Hernando. In her new role, Cochran said she references medical terminology she originally learned in Price’s health science class to this day. “One of my clients will come in with a diagnosis that I practically know nothing about, but I can break it down based on the lessons that
