Eastern Center for Arts and Technology (EASTERN) takes pride in spotlighting its outstanding students. Today, we recognize Kade Dufala, a senior at Hatboro-Horsham High School and an EASTERN Allied Health student.

Kade initially believed EASTERN’s Allied Health program was designed specifically for students pursuing careers as doctors or nurses. However, after speaking with a friend who had taken the program the year before, he learned that it offers valuable knowledge and experience for a wide range of healthcare careers, including his own career goals.

Kade became interested in pursuing Pharmacy after taking AP Biology last year. The course sparked his curiosity about how medications are developed and how they work within the body. Through EASTERN’s Allied Health program, he has developed hands-on healthcare knowledge and earned recognition for his achievements. In June, Kade will be inducted into EASTERN’s National Technical Honor Society and last month, he earned a Bronze Medal at the SkillsUSA State Competition in Medical Math. The Medical Math competition focused primarily on dosage calculations, unit conversions, and IV fluid measurements.

Kade especially enjoyed his shadowing experience at Christ's Home through EASTERN and feels it gave him valuable firsthand experience and an advantage while still in high school. He also participated in a week-long shadowing opportunity at Merck & Co. after learning about the opportunity through his school counselor at Hatboro-Horsham High School. While working in a Quality Control Lab, Kade observed sterility and bioburden testing procedures and gained hands-on exposure to operating equipment used for suitability testing.

Outside of school, Kade volunteers with the Teen Council at Hatboro Union Library, where members organize events that encourage younger children to read. This year, the group hosted a tea party featuring treats, story time, and activities for children and their parents.

Kade received the Honors College Merit Scholarship from Rutgers University, where he plans to attend this fall and major in Pharmacy. He hopes to pursue research within a pharmaceutical company, with a dream career in drug formulation and manufacturing.

“For every program at EASTERN, there is a certain image of who typically participates,” said Kade. “It’s important to realize that you can still find value in a program, even if you don’t fit the usual stereotype of who takes the class.”