How 5 ASCP Ambassadors Are Creatively Reaching a New Generation of Professionals

ASCP (American Society for Clinical Pathology) Ambassadors play a vital role in helping students discover the many opportunities available in laboratory medicine. Through classroom presentations, mentorship, career events, and creative hands-on activities, they make laboratory careers more accessible and visible.   

Below, five ASCP Ambassadors share how they’re utilizing distinctly unique approaches to work toward a common goal of inspiring a new generation of laboratory professionals.  

Creating a colon cancer resection out of clay and candy  

Grace Prater, MHS PA (ASCP)^CM, is a pathologists’ assistant at Mercy Hospital Southeast in rural Missouri. She’s passionate about rural medicine and introducing students in her community to the laboratory field.   

“More times than not, students in my community have never been exposed to laboratory professions as a potential career path,” she says. “Serving as an ASCP Ambassador allows me to help bridge that gap.”  

When speaking with high school students, Ms. Prater provides an engaging look at what a pathologists’ assistant does every day. She typically incorporates at least one hands-on activity designed to leave a lasting impression.   

For recent presentations, she created a clay model that simulates the gross examination of a colon cancer resection.   

“I made the wall of the colon and the mucosa by rolling them out onto construction paper,” she says. “I placed a circular piece of yellow clay within the lumen to represent an adenocarcinoma mass. I then added yellow clay to represent the pericolonic adipose tissue and mixed in Nerds candy to simulate lymph nodes.”  

Students conduct their own “dissection” by searching the clay for 12 or more lymph node Nerds.  

Some students have told Ms. Prater that they had never heard of pathologists’ assistants before her presentation and now want to explore the career.   

“Don’t overthink your presentation,” Ms. Prater advises anyone interested in outreach themselves. “Like many people, I have moments where I question my teaching abilities and feel nervous about speaking in front of a group of students. Once you begin interacting with them, however, those fears quickly disappear.”   

Making presentations colorful and approachable 

Jeannie Guglielmo, MS, MAT, MLS(ASCP)^CM, is the chair and clinical associate professor of the Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences at Stony Brook University’s School of Health Professions. An ASCP Ambassador since 2014, she introduces students to laboratory careers through video calls, university and ASCP events, and other educational programs.   

Over the years, Ms. Guglielmo has refined her presentations to include creative activities that make laboratory science more engaging and easier for 10th through 12th grade students to understand.  

For example, she regularly gives video presentations on crime scene collection for forensic science classes. Students work through case scenarios in groups, and a team leader from each group shares their findings.  

“I love that type of engagement,” she says. “To me, it’s like being with them in the room.”   

The key is making sure your presentations have a personal touch that lets you connect on an individual level. When she hosts tables at outreach events, she always includes a hands-on activity. This might be letting students re-create antibody structures using colorful pipe cleaners or providing red clay for modeling red blood cell types.  

“While somebody’s making a cell or an antibody, they’ll ask you questions like, ‘What is it like on a daily basis to work in this field?’” she says. “This kind of approach is really effective.”  

These brief conversations can have a lasting impact. Ms. Guglielmo recently received an email from a student she met at an outreach event in 2016 who went on to become a medical laboratory scientist.  

Her events range from large gatherings like ASCP’s annual NextPo conferences to small high school career days. Wherever she is, she makes her activities colorful, fun, and interactive.   

“The most important thing is being approachable,” she says.   

Engaging elementary and middle school students  

Cassie Hartgrave, MPH, MLS (ASCP)^CM, Q&A and compliance manager in the Pathology Department at the University of Iowa Health Care, introduces elementary and middle school students to laboratory careers.  

“It’s never too early,” she says. “They ask such great questions when you do projects with them, and their excitement is so rewarding. These age groups hear a lot about jobs in healthcare, but laboratory medicine is not usually one of them.”  

One recent project involved making DNA from candy with her son’s first grade class. 

Together, she and her son created kits for each student that contained licorice, colorful marshmallows, toothpicks, a DNA fact sheet, and a coloring page.   

“As they were building, we talked about how the colored marshmallows had to pair together: A (green) and T (pink), and C (yellow) and G (orange),” she says. “Each student could put their pair in any order because that is what would make their strand of DNA unique, just like each of them.  They loved the project and couldn’t wait to take their DNA home to show their family — and then eat it!”   

Ms. Hartgrave focuses on younger students because they’re the age group she enjoys working with the most, which motivates her to keep going. She suggests that anyone interested in outreach take a similar approach: “Find what excites you and share it.”  

Connecting through mentorship and laboratory tours  

Bodhraj Acharya, PhD, HCLD(ABB), MLS(ASCP), FADLM, is the technical and administrative laboratory director at NYC Health + Hospitals/Metropolitan and assistant professor at CUNY–BCC. His passion for service stems from receiving support and mentorship in his own career.  

“Becoming an ASCP Ambassador is my way of giving back to the community and helping the next generation of laboratory professionals navigate their own paths,” he says. “The laboratory profession is the backbone of modern healthcare, and we have a responsibility to nurture and grow our future workforce. Even small efforts can collectively make a significant impact.”  

Dr. Acharya utilizes a wide variety of outreach opportunities, from one-on-one mentoring to group engagements.   

“My main goal is to empower young professionals and students by providing them with the tools and confidence they need to succeed,” he says.   

That support may include general career advice, job search coaching, providing guidance on advanced training like fellowships, or professional networking.   

During Lab Week, Dr. Acharya hosted a group of students from CUNY’s medical program for laboratory tours at NYC Health. They observed the laboratory in action, spoke with laboratory professionals about their workflows, and learned about rigorous quality control processes.  

“One interaction that stands out to me is from a student who was unsure about which specialty to pursue,” he says. “During the tour, they were particularly fascinated by the work in the blood bank department. They spent a long time talking with a supervisor about the activities. Seeing that spark of passion really felt good. It reinforced my belief that these outreach activities are not just educational but are very important in helping students.”   

Get creative and “just do it”  

Jessica Rubenstein, MPH, MLS(ASCP), is an assistant professor at West Virginia University. She became an ASCP Ambassador to help students discover the profession more easily than she did.   

As a college freshman, Ms. Rubenstein knew she wanted to work in healthcare, but none of the majors felt quite right. After she and her mother researched more than 100 majors offered by the college, medical laboratory science emerged as an ideal fit.   

“I look back at my experience and wish someone had told me sooner this was an option,” she says. “As a result, I decided that I wanted to be someone who could spread awareness of the field to younger generations.”  

Ms. Rubenstein talks about laboratory medicine to high school classes. As part of her presentations, she sets up stations with hands-on activities. These include microscope slides with blood smears, clay versions of bacteria and parasites, taped agar plates with common microorganisms, and even a phlebotomy practice arm.  

This year, for the first time, she created abnormal “urine” samples using Gatorade, soda, gelatin, and soap. Each sample included a note card with possible causes for the abnormal color and appearance.   

“The students seemed to really enjoy this activity,” she says. “They like to brainstorm ideas of causes together before making a final guess.”  

For those interested in doing outreach themselves, Ms. Rubenstein’s advice is simple: “Just go for it.” Reach out to schools, collaborate with colleagues, and “don’t be afraid to get creative.”   

“It can feel like a big task to take on,” she says. “But it’s so rewarding to see students excited about the laboratory. If you can help even one person discover that this field is right for them, then it’ll have been worth it!”