Seneca Valley Senior High School welcomed a distinguished guest this winter. During her maternity leave, Andrea Horan, MSN, CRNA, UPMC Presbyterian, passionately advocated for careers in nurse anesthesia, returning to her alma mater, where she graduated 16 years ago, to share her expertise and inspire junior and senior students to consider a future in the field.
Andrea's commitment to promoting the nurse anesthesia profession was evident as she conducted two "hands-only" CPR classes and five CRNA career path classes during her visit. Despite being on maternity leave, she seized the opportunity to engage with students, imparting valuable knowledge and insights into the rewarding world of nurse anesthesia.
Andrea’s journey to becoming a CRNA began 16 years ago in her high school biology class. As she sat in the classroom learning about anatomy and physiology, Andrea daydreamed about what life would be like after high school. She knew she wanted to pursue a career in medicine and happened to play soccer and lacrosse with the daughter of UPMC Presbyterian CRNA Pamela Norton. Andrea shadowed Pam, who became her mentor and eventually her colleague at Presbyterian years later. The experience left an indelible mark on Andrea, sparking a dream that would eventually lead her to a fulfilling career in nurse anesthesia.
After becoming a CRNA, Andrea discovered a passion for nurse anesthesia education. She took on the role of mentor and life coach and has advocated for CRNA careers in the community every year (besides the pandemic years) since she completed her graduate degree at Pitt. “One of my students from Penn State is graduating from York's CRNA program this spring. I am incredibly proud of her!” says Andrea. “I am so honored to be a CRNA.”
Andrea hopes to build a mentoring program through Seneca Valley School District, where students can be exposed to careers in science, technology, engineering, and medicine (STEM), such as nurse anesthesia. Reaching students at an early age (age 16-18 years old) enables them to make decisions about their futures and pursue college degree programs in STEM fields. Andrea and her family will soon be moving into their forever home in the Seneca Valley School District. She plans to continue to volunteer at the school district and be a big sister/mentor to many more high school students for years to come.