Issue link: https://kusm-wichita.uberflip.com/i/1157351
future success at 19 she's almost positive that a tutor who helped her tremendously was a medical student. Salazar studied nursing before putting that career on hold to start her family. When Salazar enrolled her children at Park, she was shocked to find out the visits were still taking place. Salazar's children haven't experienced KU Wichita yet because they are too young. Victoria, Arianna and Annaira are in pre-K, kindergarten and first grade, respectively. But Salazar, who works as a paraeducator at Park, has seen how much the older students still get out of the relationship. "It just reminds me how fun and exciting it was when we used to go do things (at KU Wichita)," she said. Beyond material goods, Franks and Mueller said the connection between the two schools may be more important for another reason. Park students "get a chance to see the KU medical school, which really ties in with us," Franks said, explaining that Park is an AVID school, which stands for "advancement via individual determination." "It's all about college," she said. "We serve a pretty diverse and at-risk population. We want them thinking in that light. We want our kids to go to college." This year, Park fifth-graders also visited the medical school's Simulation Center, where they learned about the high-tech manikins as well as the basics of CPR. The connection with KU Wichita "has been inspirational for our students," Mueller said. "I feel like it's an all-year-long relationship." I feel it's really valuable that this relationship has lasted over decades. That's amazing. Kristi Franks, principal