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Carly Burley evaluated the patient in the examination room for her blood pressure, temperature and pulse. The Believe Academy junior was alarmed that the woman who sat before her was seriously ill.

“At first, she was so jittery I thought something was really wrong with her,” said Burley. “Then we found out she was an actor, and it was actually pretty fun.”

The encounter was one of several simulations during the IMAGINE Summer Success Academy, and School of Nursing summer camp tailored for high school students interested in nursing and healthcare careers.

For Burley, this is more than a calling— her older sister died shortly following the birth of her child, Burley’s niece. Closer attention to her sister’s condition might have changed the outcome.

“If that happened to her and it could have been stopped, then what about everybody else that passed away due to stuff like that?” said Burley. "Black women have a higher risk of passing away during childbirth than anybody else.”

The loss shaped her decision to pursue a career in maternal health and advocate for mothers whose symptoms and concerns may go unheard.

“That’s why I really want to work with delivery and be a midwife,” she said.

Burley was among 50 hand-selected high school students who participated in the four-day residential summer academy, which offered an immersive introduction to nursing education and college life at SIUE.

Campers stayed in Prairie Hall, completed CPR training and rotated through clinical simulations spanning several areas of nursing practice. Students learned nurse anesthesia, maternity care, laboratory science, intubation, catheterization and ultrasound. They worked with state-of-the-art equipment and medical mannequins inside SIUE’s new Health Sciences Complex and were supervised by camp counselors who are current faculty members in the School of Nursing.

Many participants came from communities historically underserved in health care. By providing early exposure to nursing education, mentors, and professional pathways, IMAGINE Summer Success Academy seeks to expand access to the field and help build a nursing workforce that better reflects the communities it serves.

“Through the Academy, students were introduced to college life, nursing education, and hands-on health care experiences designed to build confidence, increase exposure and strengthen their interest in the nursing profession,” said camp director Myjal Garner, DNP, ARPN, FNP-C, assistant professor and director of the SIUE WE CARE Clinic in East St. Louis.

Beyond technical skills, the camp presented students with opportunities to build relationships with nursing faculty, current students and leading local health care professionals. Burley said the welcoming environment allowed campers to speak openly about their experiences and aspirations.

“Even though we didn’t know each other that well, we could talk without being judged or looked at differently,” she said. “We could have a real conversation about where we are and where we want to go in life.”

For Juleyci Polito, a junior at Ritenour High School, the academy made her ambitions feel within reach. Polito hopes to become the first person in her family to attend college. She wants to enroll in SIUE’s nursing program.

“My dream job is to work as a pediatric nurse at Children’s Hospital,” said Polito.

By the end of the week, students had gained more than just experience taking vital signs. They had lived, briefly, on a college campus. They learned alongside peers with similar goals and backgrounds. Mentors guided them on their journey from high school to healthcare professional.

Burley is already looking ahead. When asked whether SIUE would see her return as a nursing student, she answered without hesitation.

“Yeah,” she said. “You’ll see me in two years.”

To learn more about the IMAGINE Summer Success Academy, visit www.siue.edu/nursing.

Photo: 2026 IMAGINE Summer Success Academy.