Hunterdon County Vocational School District honored Dr. Nicholas Avallone of St. Luke’s Orthopedic Care, with multiple locations throughout Hunterdon County, as its 2020 Business Partner of the Year.
The award is given annually to a county vocational technical school business partner for outstanding contributions to career and technical education. Business partners play a variety of roles, including serving on county vocational technical school program advisory boards, offering opportunities for students to gain valuable work experience, donating equipment, or serving as mentors and role models for students.
Dr. Avallone, who is a member of the district’s Biomedical Sciences Academy advisory board, hosted seniors in the Biomedical Sciences Academy for a unique opportunity to participate in a hands-on arthroscopy and dissection of a cadaver leg and experience what life is like in an operating room.
Through St. Luke’s Career Exploration Program, students in the Biomedical Sciences Academy have an opportunity to learn about careers in healthcare directly from professionals in the field. In addition, as a teaching hospital, St. Luke’s has many resources that it is willing to share with the students in the Biomedical Sciences Academy, including a mobile lab that it has offered for student use.
“Dr. Avallone offers professional insight and opportunities for BSA students through his involvement on the advisory board and serves as a panelist at the annual college and career panel discussion,” said Superintendent Dr. Todd Bonsall. “This night helps students in the Academy understand career pathways in the biomedical sciences fields, and how the choices that they make in high school and beyond can support their success in this pathway.”