Think Twice Before Judging a Community by its Cover
By Jennifer Thompson
When I was growing up, my mother was always trying to teach me right from wrong. Don’t steal, don’t cheat, shower daily – you know, the normal stuff. But, one of the most important lessons I ever learned from them is not to judge a book by its cover. There’s just too much you could miss by looking only at the surface The same goes for people, jobs, food, opportunities and even cities.
By now, living in Central Florida, you are certainly aware of the world-class “Medical City” being built just down the road in Lake Nona. You are aware of the opportunities the site is bringing to the area in terms of the health care industry, retail space, home construction and job creation. But those are the opportunities on the surface, the cover if you will. And, like we just discussed, you should not judge a book solely on its cover.
Yes, the sheer size and magnitude of what’s going on right here gives me goosebumps just thinking about it. Being a lifelong Orange County resident, I couldn’t be happier with the new facilities and exciting growth we are experiencing. The UCF Medical School, Burnham Institute for Medical Research, V.A. Hospital, Nemours Children’s Hospital, Anderson Orlando Cancer Research Institute and more. That’s right, there are more coming. These facilities will change the way the world thinks of us as a region. That’s not even mentioning the growth and stimulus that will be provided from secondary facilities such as outpatient centers, various research initiatives and what have you. But you already knew all that. That’s on the cover.
Inside our cover is where this story begins. What is often overlooked is just how many incredible partnerships the “Medical City” is aiding in below the hype, the numbers and the drool. The trickle-down effect is staggering. With the added jobs and personnel in the area, it was obvious new schools were going to need to be built to house and educate their children. But, what wasn’t so obvious, was just how much the schools were going to benefit from being built on the doorsteps of the biggest thing to hit our area since Disney World. Thanks in part to its location, and forward thinking leadership, Lake Nona High School has entered into a partnership with Valencia Community College and created the LNHS Collegiate Academy. The program will begin offering a medical or business track for students, giving them the unique opportunity to graduate with not only a high school diploma but a full Associate in Arts degree (A.A.) as well.
The school has also developed a unique partnership with Florida Hospital and has created a LNHS Health Academy designed to prepare students for a future in health care related careers by offering courses and hands on training with the Orange County Public Schools Career and Training Education Program that can lead to real world health industry certifications at the end of their high school career.
These programs will not only offer kids in the area a head start on the career of their choosing in the medical or business fields, but will also help to keep the talent local. There is no denying that there is a shortage of doctors, nurses and health care technicians in the country right now. One of the hopes (opportunities) for these partnerships is that once the health care specialists of tomorrow graduate, they will stay in this area and help support the region even further. By keeping the talent local, we will continue to push forward as a region and leader in innovation.
Arguably, one of the most exciting aspects of these new opportunities is just that: these are only two of the dozens, maybe hundreds, of opportunities brought about from the Lake Nona area. There are plenty more in the works you may have never heard about if you judged the “Medical City” by its cover. The positive influence from these industries on our quality of life is endless. From partnerships to opportunities and education to industry, the “Medical City” will continually brighten our region. And you could’ve missed it. Next time, I bet you’ll think twice before you judge a book by its cover.
