9 minute read
Alumni Profile: Essential Workers
ALWAYS
IN GOOD TIMES AND BAD, TRI-C ALUMNI ARE HARD AT WORK, PROVIDING CRITICAL SERVICES THAT KEEP OUR COMMUNITIES RUNNING ESSE NTIAL
The battle with COVID-19 has sent untold thousands of Americans to the front lines, armed not with weapons, but with medicine, supplies and, above all, compassion.
A new term has emerged to describe them: “essential workers.” They are health care professionals, first responders, those who provide critical goods and services — such as workers in the grocery and durable-goods supply chain — and countless others. We’ve developed a new appreciation for essential workers as the pandemic has blanketed our lives with fear and uncertainty. But they aren’t just here to serve and reassure us during times of crisis — they form the foundation of our society every day of every year.
For this issue’s cover story, we spoke with five Tri-C alumni representing a cross-section of our graduates who provide necessary services and support throughout Northeast Ohio.
STORY BY Erik Cassano ILLUSTRATIONS BY Jonathan Carlson
OVER THE ROAD
MICHAEL CONLEY | TRANSPORTATION
Restrictions and shutdowns brought about by the pandemic have given the public renewed appreciation for the role truck drivers play in delivering groceries and other necessary items to stores. But bread, milk and toilet paper are only the beginning.
Michael Conley works for Schneider National Inc., hauling bulk chemicals for manufacturing and water treatment throughout Ohio and neighboring states. You don’t see Conley’s hauls on store shelves, but without them, the shelves would be bare just the same.
Conley was a physical therapist assistant for nine years, but changes in the industry sent him searching for a new career and, eventually, to Tri-C’s Transportation Innovation Center. He began working for Schneider shortly after graduating in October 2019. PROBABLY BROUGHT IT.” —Michael Conley “I was drawn to truck driving due to the availability of jobs,” Conley said. “When I researched schools, Tri-C emerged as the best option because of the reasonable tuition and wide variety of class options.”
The 40-year-old Fairview Park resident drives regional routes, allowing him to be home on the weekends. But some truckers transport supplies coast to coast, away from their families for weeks at a time. It is a demanding career, and Conley is thankful that Tri-C prepared him for it.
“They really focus on safety at Tri-C,” he says. “They go beyond teaching just what you need to get your license. They’re experienced in the field, so they know what to look out for, and they show us not just what’s in the state testing manual, but what you’ll find out on the road
in real-life situations.”
GOOD MEDICINE
CHERELDA BELL | NURSING
For Cherelda Bell, uncertainty has become a daily fact of life. She’s used to adapting — as a nurse, her job is unpredictable by nature. But the pandemic is adding even more stress.
“The rules seem to change every day,” said Bell, who works at Cleveland Clinic South Pointe Hospital in Warrensville Heights. “You really don’t know what to expect when you come to work, but the people here are doing a great job under tough circumstances.”
With many satellite medical facilities temporarily closing their emergency departments, patients often have nowhere else to turn besides hospitals. It has put hospital nurses like Bell squarely on the front lines of the pandemic.
“We have a lot of people on staff who are scared, which is understandable,” she said. “They’re scared to get COVID and they’re scared to take it home to their families. We’re all changing in the garage when we get home, doing our best to not expose our families to the virus.” No matter the risk, Bell and thousands of nurses like her continue to come to work every day, knowing they’re needed now more than ever. The 36-year-old Cleveland resident credits her Tri-C education for preparing her to help shoulder the massive burden placed on health care professionals.
“Tri-C prepares you for what you’ll encounter in the field,” said Bell, who graduated in 2018. “The nursing program is fast-paced and rigorous, and it teaches you how to anticipate the unknown and adapt fast. It teaches you how to educate people, which is particularly important now.”
—Cherelda Bell
CLEANING UP
CHARLES HUBBARD | JANITORIAL
Charles Hubbard and his staff of 42 at Crystal Clear Solution operate out of the limelight. But they are critically important when it comes to limiting all manner of diseases and infections.
Between patient visits, sometimes in the wee hours of the morning, Hubbard and his staff are wiping down equipment, walls and every other surface in local health care facilities.
During the pandemic, that means donning a full hazmat suit, respirator and two layers of gloves, spending the majority of six hours in what amounts to a personal sauna — with few breaks.
What’s more, Hubbard and his management team personally clean all of the facilities where COVID patients are treated, sending his employees to less hazardous jobs.
“We have a management team of only three, and we handle all those jobs,” Hubbard says. “That’s part of the bigger picture for me. We want to ensure that not only do our clients and the people they serve not get the virus, our employees don’t either.” TO KEEPING MEDICAL FACILITIES RUNNING.” —Charles Hubbard Hubbard, 50, of Highland Heights, started his company in 2008 as a one-man shop. Over the next decade, he grew the business, but always sought to do more. That’s when he decided to enroll in the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses (10KSB) program at Tri-C, graduating in spring 2019.
The knowledge gained from the program helped better position Crystal Clear Solution for additional growth and stability. Though the company’s services are needed every day in health care facilities regardless of the situation, they’re needed more than ever right now.
“I got into janitorial services because of the lower upfront cost and the fact that it’s always needed,” he said. “This current situation shows how essential a well-run janitorial company is to keeping medical facilities running.
I’m glad 10KSB helped me build that foundation.”
AT THE READY
ANDREW McBRIDE | FIREFIGHTING
Though many essential workers are pulling longer shifts now, they still get to go home after work. That’s generally not the case for firefighters and emergency medical personnel, who spend 24-hour shifts living together at fire stations.
Andrew McBride is a 22-year-old Parma Heights firefighter and paramedic. He received his EMT, firefighter and paramedic certifications at Tri-C in 2018 and 2019 before being hired by Parma Heights in January. About two months later, the COVID-19 pandemic reached Ohio and McBride was thrust into an entirely new reality.
“The biggest change has been the heightened awareness and all the extra equipment we have to wear now,” he said. “We wear masks around the station, keep six feet apart and stagger when we eat.”
Each shift is also tasked with disinfecting the station and the ambulances, using a large aerosol spray gun to disinfect surfaces.
The abundance of caution follows them onto the road. Before the pandemic, medical gloves were the only personal protective equipment required on most calls. “Now, every single call, we’re suiting up with gloves, goggles, N95 masks and, if a COVID case is suspected, we’re wearing gowns as well,” he said.
McBride, like other firefighters and paramedics around the country, knows how important it is to stay at the ready, no matter what they’ll face at the scene of an emergency. It’s something he said he learned at Tri-C.
“We need to be there, no matter what,” McBride said. “When someone calls 911, we are going to respond — whether it’s COVID or anything else. And the instructors at Tri-C prepared us for that. You learn the technical aspects of the job, but also the mentality you need to have. This isn’t a typical 9-to-5 job, and you only get into it if you have a passion for helping people.”
—Andrew McBride
LETTER OF THE LAW
DANIELLE SHOOK | POLICING
Danielle Shook has a unique perspective on the pandemic. She is a police officer within a health care organization.
Shortly after graduating from Tri-C’s Basic Police Academy last fall, she started working at Summa Health, in and around Akron. While officers in city police departments may assist on medical calls at residences, Shook sees patients once they have arrived at the hospital.
“You’re not just interacting with people who are in a personal crisis or who broke the law. They’re also very possibly injured on top of it,” Shook said. “In that way, the stress can be higher working in law enforcement in a medical setting.”
The job requires an ability to de-escalate tense situations, along with excellent community relations skills — both made more difficult by physical distancing and masks. Shook has adapted by using her words and physical gestures. GOING TO BE VALUABLE.” —Danielle Shook “That’s what this career is about — adapting in a second,” she said. “If people can’t see my whole face, I have to use my eyes and hands more. I have to describe things in more detail.”
The 33-year-old from Reminderville left a career in real estate out of a desire to serve the public. When she decided to attend the police academy, she chose Tri-C due to its reputation for experienced instructors.
“It’s a tough program, but it prepares you for what’s out there,” Shook said. “Any situation I encounter on the job, I always hear my instructors in the back of my head. They did such a good job teaching us. Even after this pandemic is over, we’re still going to need to be there, answering calls, so we’re always going to draw on the education we got
at Tri-C. It’s always going to be valuable.”
