YOUNGSTOWN — When it comes to stating why she enrolled in a specialized six-week course, Mindy VanHorn left little room for equivocation.

“I love to help people,” an emotional VanHorn said about having successfully completed Mercy Health’s School-at-Work program. “There are so many doors that are now open so I can pursue my passion.”

The Youngstown woman and 1991 Leetonia High School graduate was among the five women honored during a graduation luncheon recently at St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital for their achievement.

The other four who received certificates are Heather Oswald, Lisa Rakocy, Angela Singleton and Jasmine Stewart.

The School-at-Work effort, funded by the Boardman-based Mercy Health Foundation Mahoning Valley, prepares Mercy Health and contract employees in entry-level jobs to further their education and paves the way for them to advance in their careers, Maraline Kubik, the foundation’s manager of annual programs and community outreach, said in a statement.

Students are required to attend two hours of classroom instruction and complete two hours of homework weekly. The course is onsite and covers life-management skills, communication in the workplace and principles of patient satisfaction, along with grammar, reading, writing, safety and math, Kubik noted.

VanHorn, who has worked three years as a patient-care aide at St. Elizabeth Boardman Hospital, praised her husband, Eric, for encouraging her to enroll in the program. As a result, she has learned a lot about medical terminology, brushed up on math skills and received tips for crafting a resume, among other things, she explained.

VanHorn also is taking human anatomy and other prerequisite classes at Eastern Gateway Community College in Youngstown to reach her long-term goal of becoming a registered nurse.

“It makes you believe in yourself,” VanHorn said. “Before, I was teetering and not sure if I could do it. Now it’s kind of pushed the teeter the other way.”

Also happy with her accomplishment was Oswald, of Warren, a 1993 Warren G. Harding High School graduate.

“It’s refreshed me on medical terminology, math and grammar,” said Oswald, who works in nutrition services at St. Joseph Warren Hospital.

Oswald added that she’s not certain of her next career step, but is grateful that the program also has made her more aware of the myriad funding sources and support on hand to help her move forward professionally.

“I’m so thankful that it’s available,” she said about the program.

“I’m so proud of you for pulling double duties with school and work. Nothing delights me more than seeing your success at the end of that,” Art Daly, EGCC’s vice president, told the graduates in his remarks.

The women will inevitably face other hurdles as they enter the next chapter in their lives, but the School-at-Work program has provided them a foundation upon which to launch the next iteration of their careers, he said. Also, the grads have the support of EGCC and the community, Daly continued.

“Our employees really are our most important resource, and we want to help them advance and grow in their careers, not only because it is good for them and their families, but because it is good for our patients, our patients’ families and our community overall,” said Paul Homick, Mercy Health Foundation president.

Since the effort was implemented in 2013, 37 entry-level Mercy Health workers have finished the program. Two of them have earned associate degrees in health information, two are to graduate this year with nursing degrees and seven others are in college courses to pursue various degrees, the statement says.