Kenzie Gray flourishes in the fast-paced and high-stakes environment of the operating room.
Originally from Janesville, Kenzie graduated from Milton High School in 2021 and enrolled in a 4-year program at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. However, she quickly realized that something just didn’t feel quite right about the path she was on.
Encouraged by her mother—a veteran in the surgical technology field with over 25 years of experience and a current instructor at Blackhawk Technical College—Kenzie chose to leave Eau Claire to pursue a career in surgical technology. Her mother’s advice was to explore a career that combined Kenzie’s love for both traveling and helping others. Following her mother’s footsteps, Kenzie petitioned and was accepted into Blackhawk’s Surgical Technology program.
Kenzie’s engagement went beyond her classroom work. She became an active member of the Surgical Tech Club and serves as a lab assistant for first-year students. This summer, Kenzie Gray completed her Mayo Clinic internship and is gearing up to graduate from Blackhawk’s Surgical Technician Program this May.
Her internship experience solidified her resolve that she had made the right choice in applying to Blackhawk and pursuing a career in surgical technology.
“Mayo Clinic is known for having a positive work environment, and I definitely saw that there. Everybody was very kind and willing to help. Sometimes you hear that hospital work environments aren’t the nicest, but they really stick to the qualities of respect and learning,” she said.
During her internship, she worked Monday through Friday, participating in 7 a.m. briefings and case preparations. Throughout the day, she would participate and aid the surgeons in procedures like liver resections and pancreaticoduodenectomies–often called “Whipple” surgeries—where part of the pancreas and bile duct are removed and reattached.
Kenzie said she is grateful for the supportive learning environment during her internship.
"I had some good days and some bad days. There are times when you just drop every instrument and I would just get very flustered. But then the surgeons would say, ‘Don't worry, you're learning,’ or tell us we were doing a good job. That helped me overcome any anxieties that would come up,” she said.
After graduation, she plans to start her career, further her education and travel.
Learn more about the Surgical Technology program at Blackhawk Technical College!