PA Cyber Alum Aims for a Career in Medicine

September 10, 2025

Kayla Collins, a 2022 graduate of PA Cyber, is now a senior biology major on the pre-med track at Seton Hill University. She credits her high school experience with giving her the confidence to pursue opportunities beyond the classroom. Today, she works as an undergraduate research assistant in a neuromechanics lab, studying the nervous system of hawkmoths, and mentors students funded by the National Science Foundation—an experience she calls incredibly rewarding. She is also preparing to become a certified clinical medical assistant and hopes to begin working in a medical office soon.

Kayla is studying for the MCAT and plans to apply to medical school. Determined to reach her goal, she said, “If I’m not accepted right away, I'll just keep building my application every year until I am.” Her vision is to become “a wonderfully compassionate and effective physician” who supports her patients, just as her own doctors have done for her.

Reflecting on her years at PA Cyber, Kayla said the school helped her develop an independent work ethic and encouraged her to embrace leadership roles. At her previous school, where students were warned that failure was one step away, she avoided extracurriculars to focus on academics. At PA Cyber, however, she found a “warm and inviting school,” joined multiple clubs, and discovered “the courage to trust in her ability to lead others.” She especially remembers her STEM teachers’ passion and support as pivotal to her growth.

In her senior year, she represented her classmates at the western graduation ceremony. “With every decision you make,” she told an audience of more than 1,200 people, “you have the chance to better yourself and the people around you.”