Up, up and away!

    High schools tend to provide a broad overview of many different subjects, but it often takes something a bit more specific for a young person to be drawn toward their future career. Maybe it’s seeing an engine taken apart for the first time or building their first website. Perhaps it’s decorating a cake or tutoring a peer.
    For some Holyoke High School students, a junior EMT class may have been just the exposure they needed to spark an interest in a future medical career.
    May 23 was the last day of the six-week course, which culminated in students preparing a landing zone on the football field, watching an AirLife helicopter land, meeting the crew and learning what their jobs entail, and finally touring the aircraft. While many HHS students had the chance to go outside and watch the landing, only those in the junior EMT class got the hands-on experience.
    Holyoke EMS director Brady Ring said that the idea for the class began four years ago with a Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment evaluation of Phillips County. The department suggested that Melissa Memorial Hospital implement an exploratory program at Holyoke High School to give students the opportunity to learn about prehospital care. The idea is that it could be a student’s first step toward the medical field.
    This year the suggestion became a reality. Starting April 9, a total of 19 juniors and seniors at HHS participated in a junior EMT class. They did not receive any official certification, rather they were offered a quick preview of what they could expect from a full EMT class. The number of interested students far exceeded what Ring had expected.

The full article is available in our e-Edition. Click here to subscribe.