Today we’d like to introduce you to Heather Peterson.
Hi Heather, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My career in education spans more than two decades, beginning back in 2001. Early on, I was drawn to science education and career education pathway development, spending years working within the Grossmont Union High School District (GUHSD) as a science teacher and coordinating health pathway programs across California in a grant position. That work opened my eyes to the incredible impact contextualized, hands-on healthcare training can have on students’ lives and our local communities.
In 2018, I stepped into my role as Director of the Health Occupations Center (HOC) in Santee, a specialized training facility within Grossmont Adult Education. Coming here felt like a natural continuation of my path. At Grossmont Adult Education, our broader mission is to offer free and low-cost programs for adults looking to complete their high school diploma or GED, learn English, or gain skills for a new career. Looking back on my journey, serving as a leader at a center that provides accessible, high-quality career pathways right here in East County San Diego is easily the most rewarding chapter yet.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It certainly hasn’t been a smooth road, but the challenges along the way have only highlighted the strength and dedication of the Health Occupations Center team and the adult education community.
Beyond the everyday complexities of aligning coursework with employer input, accreditation board training standards, and the public education system requirements, one of the greatest challenges came during the COVID-19 pandemic. Like many educational institutions, we faced a brief closure. However, HOC staff and instructors immediately recognized how essential our students were to the local healthcare workforce during a time of crisis. Everyone rallied around a shared goal: getting our students trained, certified, and into the field where they were needed most.
Thanks to swift advocacy and close collaboration between our school district and San Diego County, we were able to safely reopen for in-person instruction by June 2020. Successfully navigating that period to complete student training demonstrated the true resilience of our adult learners and reinforced why affordable, accessible, community-focused healthcare training is so vital.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Health Occupations Center, Grossmont Adult Education?
At the Health Occupations Center (HOC) in Santee—part of Grossmont Adult Education and connected to the Grossmont Union High School District (GUHSD)—our mission is simple: to provide high-quality, accessible, and affordable healthcare career pathways for our local community. Grossmont Adult Education has proudly served East County San Diego since its establishment in 1946.
At HOC, we specialize in short-term career technical education, offering targeted training, certification, and licensure programs for high-demand healthcare fields. Our offerings include Certified Nurse Assistant, Dental Assistant, Emergency Medical Technician, Healthcare Interpreting, Medical Assistant, Medical Office, Pharmacy Technician, Phlebotomy Technician, Medical Lab Assistant, Veterinary Assistant, Vocational Nursing, and a wide variety of continuing education courses for current healthcare workers. HOC consistently maintains an annual enrollment rate over 90%, with a campus-wide completion rate averaging 86% since 2021.
What truly sets us apart is our unique position as a public adult education institution. Supported primarily by California Adult Education Program (CAEP) funding, our registration fees can remain free or low-cost, removing the financial strain and debt often associated with private education. We also partner closely with the San Diego Workforce Partnership, local workforce boards, and community organizations to help students access grant funding and supportive services. Beyond affordability, our dedicated instructors are experienced in their fields and provide hands-on, industry-aligned training directly tailored to the needs of San Diego’s healthcare workforce.
Two accomplishments stand out in our work: our award-winning Integrated Education & Training (IET) program and our collaboration with GUHSD Health Pathway programs.
Since 2020, we have integrated an IET framework across all programs to support English language learners while building workplace readiness. Recognized as a model program at the 2024 California Adult Education Program (CAEP) awards ceremony, this initiative received significant backing in June 2026, when the State of California awarded Grossmont Adult and Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District a competitive $2.48 million English Language Learner Healthcare Pathways grant to expand our work.
GUHSD has offered health pathway programs that blend medical and career training topics into high school science coursework since 2005. Having coordinated those pathways from 2006 to 2018, connecting high school students directly to adult healthcare careers at HOC was a natural progression. In 2022, we launched our first two high school summer CNA classes at HOC, later adding Medical Assistant in 2023 and Emergency Medical Technician in 2025. To date, 244 high school pathway students have earned industry certification or licensure through these summer programs, and we look forward to introducing a Pharmacy Technician summer track next year. In 2024, these high school pipeline programs were honored with a California School Boards Association (CSBA) Golden Bell Award and an Innovation in Education Impact Award from the Classroom of the Future Foundation (CFF).
Whether you are looking to start a new career, advance in your current medical field, complete a high school diploma, or learn English, Grossmont Adult Education and the Health Occupations Center are here as a supportive, high-quality, and community-driven launchpad for your future.
What makes you happy?
What makes me happiest in my work at the Health Occupations Center is seeing our students achieve life-changing breakthroughs—whether that is passing a rigorous licensing exam, celebrating with friends and family at graduation, or landing their first healthcare job.
Many of our adult learners arrive at HOC balancing immense personal responsibilities, from raising families and working jobs to overcoming language barriers or navigating career pivots later in life. Seeing their perseverance pay off, knowing that we’ve provided them with the skills, confidence, and community support to build a sustainable career, is deeply fulfilling.
One of the most rewarding parts of my job is stepping out into the community and running into our former students everywhere I go. Whether I’m visiting local hospitals, medical clinics, dental offices, pharmacies, or even veterinary practices across East County, HOC graduates are out there on the front lines doing the work. They truly are everywhere!
Knowing that our team plays a role in helping students launch these careers—and seeing the immediate, positive impact they make on the health and well-being of our entire region—makes every challenge completely worth it.
Pricing:
- Recommend visiting the website, hoc.guhsd.net. All up-to-date registration fees for all programs are posted on the HOC Courses page.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://hoc.guhsd.net
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/health_occupations_center/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100042219014324#
