Late last year, the New York Association for Career and Technical Education (NYSACTE) Postsecondary State Career Technical Education (CTE) Leaders Fellowship at Advance CTE, sponsored by the ECMC Foundation, announced their inaugural cohort of Postsecondary State CTE Leadership Fellows. Among the 15 Fellows was Randelle Sasa, PhD, RN-BC, CMSRN, CCRN, CNE, Chair and Associate Professor of the CSI Department of Nursing. He has also been featured recently in an article from NYSACTE, as well as a podcast, which discuss his career and approach to nursing education.

The NYSACTE Fellowship strives to address the growing shortage of postsecondary CTE leaders by closing representation gaps and removing barriers to leadership advancement within New York State.

“New York’s Career Technical Education (CTE) programs are as diverse as the students they serve, with over 40% of our postsecondary learners identifying as Black, Hispanic/Latino, or Asian, and nearly equal representation of men and women,” said Erin Smith, president of NYSACTE. “It’s crucial that we develop leaders who not only understand this diversity but are ready to support and uplift it. That’s what the NYSACTE Postsecondary State CTE Leaders Fellowship is all about—giving these emerging leaders the tools and connections they need to make a real difference. We’re incredibly grateful to Advance CTE and ECMC Foundation for helping bring this vision to life. Their partnership allows us to tap into a national framework and adapt it to meet the unique needs of New York State.”

Commenting on receiving the honor, Dr. Sasa said, “I am fairly new to Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs, so being chosen as a Fellow of NYSACTE came to me as a surprise, as much as it is a profound honor. Most Fellows are C- and D-suite executives across various educational and nonprofit institutions in New York State, and most are familiar with CTE. I feel privileged to be part of such a cadre.”

Dr. Sasa’s interest in teaching was fostered by his mother, who was also a teacher, as he grew up in the Philippines. “I have been listening to her lectures from the womb, and so it’s hard-wired. I also fell in love with nursing education early on in my career. I taught patients, students, and co-workers, and found that I have a knack for it.”

Regarding his fellowship project, titled “Practicum Experience in a Community-Based Immigrant Center: Effects on Nursing Students’ Cultural Humility and Prejudice towards Immigrants,” Dr. Sasa stated that it “was inspired by our RN-BS students’ clinical rotations. The project aims to: (1) use a retrospective pre-/post-test design to measure nursing students’ cultural humility and prejudice toward immigrants, and (2) create an evidence- and experience-based toolkit that will enable nursing programs to implement student practicums in immigrant centers. CSI students who underwent the clinical rotation were recruited to participate in an online survey.

Looking at his current position at CSI, Dr. Sasa said that his favorite part of his job is teaching and working with students,” which is his life’s mission. “Preparing students to become career-ready as a nurse is professionally fulfilling as it is spiritually uplifting, knowing that my work influences the care of many patients.”

As for the challenges, Dr. Sasa opines, “Administration of a nursing education enterprise is never dull. It presents challenges every day from accreditation, enrollment management, clinical placements, keeping sure that faculty (including me) are educationally and experientially qualified/updated to teach, and managing emerging technologies in nursing education such as artificial intelligence.”

Looking ahead, Dr. Sasa said that he’s not sure what the future will hold, but he added that “what I do know is that I will work hard to create future in a world that has well-rounded, compassionate, and competent nurses.”

Learn more about the New York Association for Career and Technical Education (NYSACTE) Postsecondary State Career Technical Education (CTE) Leaders Fellowship online.

By Terry Mares