11/19/2025
Just a short year ago, Courtney Baker was a student at Toledo School for the Arts.
“I got introduced to Junior Achievement at my school’s Career Con event,” says Courtney. “I knew I wanted to be in the medical field, but I didn’t know the next step after high school. The Junior Achievement representative at Career Con explained the different job shadowing experiences they offer. I knew I wanted to be a part of their senior year experience.”
Through JA, Courtney experienced two Mercy Health job shadowing visits – a nursing rotation, which provided students with a comprehensive view of the hospital, and a shadow experience in the operating room. That’s when things clicked for Courtney.
“I got to stand in on an actual surgery – something I still brag about!” she exclaims. “When I was scrubbing in, the surgical technician let me help her put on her gown and explained every tool and different parts of the OR. I loved everything: the people, the hospital, the attire, the tools. Something about the environment just felt right. It made sense. It was a confirmation that this was what I wanted to do.”
As part of the senior year rotation Courtney also got to visit Mercy College of Ohio.
“The moment I walked onto the campus, I knew. It was perfect,” Courtney says. “I wanted to get my Bachelor's in Biology there.”
After applying and being accepted, Courtney learned on the day of her high school graduation that she had received a renewable $10,000 Junior Achievement scholarship.
Today, Courtney is a laser-focused freshman at Mercy College.
“It is a long haul, maybe 13 years,” she admits. “It is daunting, but I am excited, and I am ready to see where it will take me!”
Courtney says she is disciplined with her free time to complete assignments and that her initial reactions to Mercy College are all positive.
“I love the small classes,” she says. “There is so much teamwork with the faculty, and my teachers are so willing to work with me.”
Courtney is now exploring options to work at Mercy Health while attending school and remains uniquely determined to achieve her goals.
“The path to becoming a surgeon felt terrifying,” says Courtney. “It was so big, so unapproachable, that I almost gave up before I even started. Thank you, Junior Achievement, for helping me turn a daunting dream into a tangible, exciting reality.”