TOMS RIVER – The front lawn of Ocean County Vocational Technical School’s (OCVTS) Toms River campus recently buzzed with energy as more than 250 students mingled with representatives from over 40 healthcare employers during a highly anticipated career fair.
While the event focused on opportunity, for some, it was about more than job prospects – it was about purpose.
The annual healthcare career fair has grown into a signature event for OCVTS, drawing employers from across Ocean and Monmouth counties looking to meet future healthcare professionals. The fair’s intention is to bridge the gap between classroom learning and professional opportunity.
Representatives from hospitals, rehabilitation centers, dental practices, fitness organizations, and home health care agencies stood behind display tables, fielding questions and collecting resumes from young aspiring professionals. The school’s health programs, ranging from pre-nursing and medical assisting to dental assisting and practical nursing, have drawn a diverse group of students committed to entering the workforce – or taking their education to the next level.
One of them is Mary Kate Opel of Barnegat.
At 34, Opel has proudly completed the school’s intensive 10-month Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) program, a fast-paced course designed for post-secondary students. She’s no stranger to the healthcare field – she previously held a job as a pharmacy technician and continues to work per diem at Ocean University Medical Center in Brick. But she wanted more.
“I knew I wanted to get into actual hands-on medicine,” said Opel. “I wasn’t exactly sure what direction I’d go, but I knew I wanted to help people. This is just the start.”
Opel said she enjoyed the clinical rotations and the work necessary for preparing for the NCLEX licensure exam. Despite the daily tests, accelerated pace, and heavy workload, she describes the program as “awesome.”
“The teachers are great,” she said. “They hold us accountable, but they also support us in every way – during the program and even after graduation. They send out job opportunities, and they celebrate every time someone passes their boards. There’s a wall in the office where they write our names.”
Opel acknowledged that going back to school in her 30s came with doubts – but she found camaraderie in her classmates, who span every age and background.
“We have people just out of high school, single parents, career changers,” she said. “There’s a woman in my class who’s 43. We’re all in different places, but we’re there for the same reason.”
While her classmates might ultimately branch into a variety of specialties, Opel already knows her destination.
“My goal is to be a registered nurse and work in hospice care,” she said. “It’s personal for me. I lost my dad to cancer when I was young, and the hospice nurses were phenomenal. They didn’t just take care of my dad – they took care of us, too. It wasn’t just about someone passing. It was about making sure everyone involved was supported. I want to pay that forward.”
The LPN program at OCVTS is open only to students who have already graduated from high school. However, high school students in Ocean County can enroll in shared-time programs on campus. Gabriella Ardilesles and Zafer Kose, both currently enrolled in the Medical Assisting program, split their days between Toms River North High School and OCVTS. Set to graduate next year, the two arrived at the career fair with polished resumes and visited the Community Medical Center table to explore volunteer opportunities.
“I’m interested in medical assisting because I want to help people,” Gabriella said, acknowledging she’d like to get some hands-on experience before she finishes school.
Resume-building is part of the curriculum for these students. OCVTS instructors run three separate classes focused on professional presentation, ensuring every student was ready to impress potential employers during the fair.
OCVTS offers a diverse lineup of health-related programs tailored to meet the growing demand in the field:
Pre-Nursing: Equips students with foundational knowledge to pursue further nursing education.
Medical Assisting: Prepares students to handle both administrative and clinical duties in medical offices.
Practical Nursing (LPN): A full-time, accelerated post-secondary program leading to licensure.
Dental Assisting: Teaches patient prep, sterilization, and dental procedures.
Health and Fitness Technology: Merges wellness coaching with personal training skills.
A Broad Range Of Opportunities
With 43 healthcare organizations in attendance, students had plenty to explore – from dental offices and urgent care facilities to senior living centers and home health care agencies.
Lori Losacco, who is a registered dental assistant herself, appeared at the career fair on behalf of Ocean Pediatric Dental Associates. She said she has participated in the event multiple times and is always impressed by the caliber of the dental assisting students.
“We currently have two students from the program working in our office,” Losacco shared. “We hire from here every year. It’s a great opportunity for the students to speak with professionals in the field, and it also helps us connect with people who are passionate about what they do.”
Losacco emphasized the value of giving students exposure to various areas within dentistry – from pediatric to general, oral surgery to periodontics.
“It helps them explore their niche,” she said. “This might be their first step, but it sets the tone for where they’ll go.”
Representatives not only collected resumes but also discussed internships, job openings, and volunteer positions. Some offered interviews on the spot.
In a time when the healthcare industry faces staffing shortages and increased demand, OCVTS’s approach appears to be more than just timely – it’s transformational. The fair wasn’t just about handing out resumes. It was about planting roots in a career – and in many cases, a calling.
