Dressed in blue nursing scrubs, Steve Deleeuw walks into the Secondary Academy for Success (SAS) hallway with confidence. Displaying that aura is crucial, because in about two hours, the senior will be part of the Harborview Medical Center job-shadowing crew in Seattle. Patients with breathing problems or suffering from stab or gun-shot wounds may enter the building at any minute, so Deleeuw has to be mentally prepared.

The Bothell student — who will graduate this Friday at 7 p.m. at the Northshore Performing Arts Center — said he can handle almost any situation that arises at Harborview.

“It can get really hectic,” he said. “I had to leave the room once … in pediatrics, there was a child who was burned. It kind of hurts you deep.”

Deleeuw has been attending SAS for five years and took his education a step further by enrolling in the Health Science Careers course at Woodinville High this year. The class, which is open to Northshore students, focuses on the body’s circulatory, reproductive, digestive, cardiovascular and respiratory systems.

Students first trained at the North Creek Health and Rehabilitation Center and now at Harborview. This is just the start for Deleeuw, who plans to be a combat medic in the future. On June 23, he’ll head out to Fort Benning in Georgia for 10 weeks of basic training with the U.S. Army to begin his life after SAS.

“My mom is a nurse, and that’s been my inspiration. And my mom and dad were in the Navy,” said Deleeuw, who has three friends enlisting with him and eight friends already in the Army. “I want to give back to a country that has given me so many opportunities. Protect people I care about, protect my country. I’m excited about going with my friends.”

He noted that he’ll miss his family and friends who aren’t going the Army route, but he plans to tackle each day as it comes and hope for the best when he’s away.

While Deleeuw has been spending his time getting into tip-top shape for Army basic, he can’t help but relate his SAS experiences to what awaits in Georgia and beyond. He enjoys the school’s tight-knit atmosphere and being able to develop important friendships with both fellow students and teachers.

“Everyone’s friends with each other, and there’s a hand ready to pick you up when you fall. At SAS, they say, ‘You need to get your work done — how can we help you get your work done,” said Deleeuw, who earned A’s and B’s at SAS. “The team effort and team building right here will help people outside.”