From the President

 Last weekend’s Open House at the University of West Alabama was a reminder to our entire team about why we are doing this work. I arrived excited to meet a sizeable group of students and their families, ranging from those who are considering the Alabama School of Healthcare Sciences to those who’ve applied, been accepted, and some who actually signed letters of commitment on Saturday.

And I left energized by their excitement.

From the moment families stepped onto the Livingston UWA campus — our home for the first year until the first phase of our purposeful Demopolis campus is built — there was a buzz in the air. Students asked thoughtful questions about coursework, healthcare pathways, and life as part of a residential school. They gathered for an historic first official meeting. Parents leaned in, listened closely, and imagined what the next chapter could look like for their sons and daughters.

What struck me most was how quickly the conversation shifted from “This seems right for us” or “Could this be right for us?” to “How do we get ready?”

One of the most meaningful aspects of the Open House was the opportunity for families to experience campus life firsthand — including delicious food and exciting basketball. For any parent, entrusting your child to a residential program is a big decision. Being able to walk through the residence halls, dining spaces, and common areas helped turn questions into confidence.

I am deeply grateful to our partners at the University of West Alabama, who did a remarkable job conveying something essential: They understand how to support high-school-age students on a college campus. UWA has experience hosting high school students since 2019 through the University Charter School and has built a strong culture around safety, supervision, and age-appropriate support, blending that with the excitement and opportunities of a university setting. Families could see that clearly, and it mattered.

Perhaps the most exciting realization for me was this: ASHS is no longer just an idea we are explaining. With accepted and committed students and families, we now have a growing corps of ambassadors and recruiters — students and parents who believe in this mission and are eager to share it. They are talking to classmates, neighbors, educators, and friends about a one-of-a-kind opportunity to pursue healthcare careers while still in high school, in a setting designed to support both academic rigor and personal growth.

As we look ahead to our historic first year, with both a freshman class and a sophomore cohort taking shape, we’re starting to grow our community.

If you or someone you know is interested in becoming part of this inaugural journey, I encourage you to visit www.ALhealthcarehs.org to learn more and apply. The future of healthcare in Alabama will be shaped by students like these — and the excitement we all felt last weekend tells me we are on the right path.

More excited than I’ve been about anything in my 37 years as an educator,

Dr. Jimmy Martin

One of the guiding ideas behind the Alabama School of Healthcare Sciences is simple: If this school is truly meant to serve the whole state, then we must meet people where they are.

That’s why I’m especially excited about our new Virtual Drop-In Sessions, which are now happening twice each week and are open to everyone — students, parents, educators, healthcare partners, community supporters, and those interested in working with us.

These sessions are intentionally informal. You don’t need to prepare anything. You don’t need to stay the whole hour. You can simply drop in, request a brief overview of ASHS if that’s what you need, ask a question, listen to others’ questions, or just get a feel for who we are and where we’re headed.

Here’s when we gather:

• Mondays, 5-6 p.m.
• Wednesdays, 9-10 a.m.

Every session includes live conversation with members of our leadership team, updates on admissions and hiring, and guidance for families navigating the application process. Some folks may come once. Others may return several times as new questions arise. All are welcome. Keep this link handy to Zoom in!

This is part of a broader effort to reach every corner of Alabama — large cities, rural towns, and everywhere in-between. We know not everyone can travel easily, and we never want distance to be a barrier to opportunity.

Of course, we also love connecting in person. We’re excited about our first Open House Saturday (Jan. 17), a chance to experience the spirit and opening-year site of ASHS firsthand. And for those who prefer a more structured virtual overview, our full Virtual Information Session on Jan. 28 will walk families through what makes this school truly one of a kind.

Whether online or in person, our message is the same: ASHS is a statewide community in the making, being carefully built through conversation, questions, and shared purpose.

If you’ve been curious, uncertain, or simply waiting for the right moment, this is it. Drop in. Say hello. Let’s talk about the future of healthcare in Alabama together.

 

Eager to connect,

Dr. Jimmy Martin, President

The start of a new year always brings with it a sense of possibility and promise. Fresh calendars waiting to be filled. Fresh resolve ready to be tapped. And for many families considering the Alabama School of Healthcare Sciences, the start of 2026 presents a moment of decision.

I want to invite you, eagerly and personally, to join us for our ASHS Open House at the University of West Alabama on Saturday, Jan. 17. This is more than an event on a calendar. It is an opportunity that could mark the beginning of a lifetime of purpose. Or to put its meaning into the vernacular of a bumper sticker: “The first day of the rest of your life.”

Why do I say that with such confidence? Because I’ve spent my career in education, and I’ve seen it happen again and again. A single day on a campus. A single conversation. A single introduction. And suddenly a young person sees themselves differently. They glimpse a future they hadn’t fully imagined, and they begin moving toward it.

At ASHS, we talk often about preparing students for healthcare careers. But just as important are the relationships which shape whom our students become. At this Open House, your student might meet a mentor who changes the trajectory of their life, an educator who sees something in them and challenges them to rise to it. They might meet a future best friend, someone who will share late-night study sessions, early-morning clinical rotations, and the personal growth that comes from choosing a meaningful path together.

Jan. 17 is designed to help families truly experience what ASHS is about. You’ll tour the University of West Alabama campus and the site of our own cozy and secure mini-campus, hear directly from our enthusiastic leadership team, meet UWA student ambassadors and nursing program staff, and get the kind of clear picture of our academics, residential life, and admissions process that can be imagined and imprinted on you through a personal visit.

You’ll have time to ask questions, make connections, and envision what life at ASHS could look like, not just for four years of high school, but for decades beyond. And the timing couldn’t be more effective.

With the New Year underway, ASHS applications are being reviewed, interviews are happening, and acceptances are being sent. Momentum is building. Decisions are being made. This is not a “someday” conversation — it is a “right now” moment.

If you’re just starting to explore or are still investigating ASHS, now is the time to lean in. Get your family involved. Attend an event. Ask questions. Submit an application. Make an informed decision about whether this unique, tuition-free, residential healthcare high school is the right fit for your student and your family.

And Jan. 17 isn’t the only opportunity looming. Our Events Calendar on the ASHS website is bursting with upcoming local appearances, information sessions, and HOSA-related events across the state. We will be out in communities, meeting students and families where they are, because we believe access starts with connection.

I encourage you to take that first or next step. Come see us. Talk with us. Imagine what’s possible.

Because for many students, the journey toward a life of service in healthcare begins not with a grand declaration but with a single day that opens a door. Jan. 17 at UWA could be that day. Or it could be Jan. 14 in Homewood, or Jan. 21 in Dothan, or Jan. 29 in Florence, or…

Ready to hit the road in 2026,

Dr. Jimmy Martin

President, Alabama School of Healthcare Sciences

Christmas has a way of slowing us down, inviting reflection and a renewed appreciation for what truly matters. This year, that process feels especially personal to me. Like many families, my own has faced health challenges in recent months. Those experiences have a way of clarifying priorities and reminding us how precious good health really is.

Scripture reminds us that true wealth is found not in what we possess, but in the well-being of our lives. 3 John offers a simple but powerful prayer: “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.” In this season of giving, that truth resonates deeply. Health touches every family, every community, and every future – shaping not only how long we live, but how fully we are able to care for one another.

That is why being part of the Alabama School of Healthcare Sciences is so profoundly meaningful to me. What we are building is more than a school. It is a community rooted in service, compassion, and opportunity. It is an investment in wave after wave of young people which for generations to come will ripple across Alabama to care for neighbors, strengthen rural communities, and improve the quality of life in every part of the state.

Christmas also reminds us that none of this happens alone. Family, community, faith, and shared purpose are the foundations of both good health and meaningful lives. As we meet the eager prospects who will become our first ASHS students, I am grateful for the growing village of families, educators, healthcare professionals, and supporters who believe in this mission and are helping bring it to life.

If you or your family are exploring what ASHS might offer, I encourage you to join us for our upcoming live Virtual Information Session at noon next Monday, Dec. 29. It’s a wonderful opportunity to learn together, ask questions, and see how this unique school could fit into your future.

In the meantime, stay tuned to our @Alabama School of Healthcare Sciences on Facebook and @ALHealthcareHS on Instagram where our charismatic Dean of Students, Dr. Antonio Cooper, will be answering your FAQs over this winter break.

Wishing you peace, good health, and the joy of community,

Dr. Jimmy Martin

President, Alabama School of Healthcare Sciences

One of the most encouraging developments we’ve seen as the Alabama School of Healthcare Sciences takes shape has been the response to our Virtual Information Sessions.  Watching our computer screens fill with “tiles” of students, parents, educators, and counselors from every corner of the state who could, in just a few short months, be our ASHS community has turned out to be one of the joys of recruiting. They log into Zoom with curiosity and log off energized, informed, and excited about seeing new possibilities for the future.

That’s exactly why we’re offering a special Virtual Information Meeting at noon Dec. 29, right in the heart of winter break.

When families are together, conversations happen differently. There’s time to listen, to ask questions, to imagine next steps. Those moments matter. Choosing a school, especially one as distinctive as ASHS, is not a decision made in isolation. It’s one that must be explored together.

Our virtual sessions have proven to be a powerful way to do just that. They’ve allowed us to introduce the vision behind ASHS, explain how a tuition-free, residential healthcare high school works, and, just as importantly, to hear directly from families and educators about what’s important to students who feel called to serve others through healthcare. From the Black Belt to the Wiregrass, from the Gulf Coast to the Shoals, our community is growing exactly as it was intended to grow: Across all regions, inclusive, and united by purpose.

These sessions also come at a meaningful time in our admissions process. We are actively reviewing applications, conducting virtual interviews, and beginning conversations with students who may be among the first to walk onto our campus in August 2026. Early applicants who are accepted and commit will have access to additional guidance and planning opportunities starting in January, and we are excited about the momentum we’re seeing from students who are already envisioning themselves on this path.

Healthcare careers can no longer wait to begin in college or training programs after high school. They must start with focused preparation, mentorship, and early exposure to what it means to learn with intention and serve with compassion. That’s the foundation we are building at ASHS.

So as the year winds down and families look ahead to what comes next, I can’t think of a better use of a shared hour than learning about an opportunity that could shape a student’s future in healthcare — and, in time, the health of communities across Alabama. There truly is no better gift.

Here’s that LINK again to register for our Dec. 29 virtual information session.

Feeling a little like Santa,

Dr. Jimmy Martin

President, Alabama School of Healthcare Sciences