Scholars in Scrubs founder honored at Armory

Posted 6/28/22

The Newburgh Armory Unity Center honored educator, mentor and volunteer Linda Romano with the dedication and renaming of the Scholars in Scrubs classroom to the Linda Romano Healthcare Education …

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Scholars in Scrubs founder honored at Armory

Posted

The Newburgh Armory Unity Center honored educator, mentor and volunteer Linda Romano with the dedication and renaming of the Scholars in Scrubs classroom to the Linda Romano Healthcare Education Center on Thursday, June 16.

Romano is the creator and founder of the Scholars in Scrubs program at NAUC and it was first introduced to the center in 2017. This educational youth healthcare program is part of NAUC’s greater Career Exploration initiative. Romano’s classes are made up of children from the first to eighth grade who learn about healthcare and the human body. Students also learn dental care, the various systems of the body, cardiopulmonary resuscitation [CPR] and how to do a variety of medical tests and procedures in her classroom, designed to mimic a hospital floor. Older students are able to learn necessary skills and practices that help them receive babysitting certification.

Romano has continued to volunteer and teach the program every Saturday morning since its inception. In addition to Romano, high school students from Newburgh Free Academy [NFA] also have come to volunteer to teach the students. Romano is an award-winning teacher who works as a healthcare educator at NFA North campus. Accolades of Romano include being recognized and honored as teacher of the year and receiving the Carl Perkins Community Service Award, both from the Association of Career & Technology Educators [ACTE]. She was also the recipient of the Harry W. Pote Behind Every Graduate award from Drexel University in Philadelphia.

NAUC Founder William Kaplan and NAUC board member Andrew Komonchak both acted as Master of Ceremonies for and shared their gratitude for Romano’s dedication to the growth and mission of NAUC and this program.

Romano was grateful to be a part of NAUC and being here for the children of the Newburgh community. Romano also received a certificate of merit from both Jacobson and Senator James Skoufis for her work at NAUC.

“I’m completely humbled. I’m very proud because it’s the students, the little scholars that make this [Scholars in Scrubs program] so successful. They’re my inspiration, my joy,” said Romano. “I’m very humbled that people think of me in such a wonderful manner.”

Romano hopes to continue to make the program at NAUC a safe place for students to learn and grow and progress all the way to full-time employment.