4 minute read
Standridge is dedicated to serving others
It was just an ordinary day as Laura James, associate vice president of Academic and Student Affairs Operations, and Pat Lewis, Series25 administrator, walked through the Building B atrium on their way to a meeting. Suddenly, they saw Amanda “Skye” Hill, ’24, information technology, stumble out of a classroom and fall into a dining area chair where she leaned over and put her head down.
The pair rushed to the student’s side and realized Hill was having a severe asthma attack. Hill said a friend was on the way with her inhaler, but her breathing became more labored.
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The commotion drew the attention of senior Colton Standridge, seated at a nearby table with Tim Lumley, a GGC history instructor. Standridge realized something was wrong so he rushed to Hill’s aid. He quickly assessed the situation and took control, thanks to his training and experience as a volunteer emergency responder with Jackson County for three years. He asked Lumley to call 911 and requested that Lewis obtain bags of ice from the atrium restaurant nearby.
Noting a risk of injury if Hill remained among the hard dining chairs and tables, Standridge moved her to more stable, cushioned furnishings a few feet away. He calmed her, placed the ice bags under her arms and monitored her vital signs. His quiz in Lumley’s history class would have to wait.
Once paramedics arrived, Strandridge relayed important details about Hill’s condition and then rushed off to take his quiz,
Standridge is dedicated to serving others
returning afterward to check on his patient. Her inhaler had arrived and she was fine.
Afterward, James extended gratitude to the GGC staff, campus police, paramedics and the student who brought the inhaler for collectively contributing to the positive outcome of the student’s crisis. However, she noted that Standridge had been a “rock star.”
“Those of us present during this frightening ordeal are so grateful and proud of Colton for his outstanding service and leadership,” James said. “His presence of mind and considerable expertise made all the difference.”
Service has defined Standridge from a young age, due to a life-changing event that shaped his life and perspectives.
Shortly after starting eighth grade in 2008, he was struck by a vehicle while riding a four-wheeler. The impact launched him into the air and he fell onto the back of the car and then onto the asphalt. His helmet flew off in the process, and he suffered a serious, traumatic brain injury.
Strandridge was tended on the scene by his community’s volunteer first responders and flown by helicopter to Egleston Hospital in Atlanta. He was in the hospital for months and received multiple surgeries, including skull reconstruction. After extensive rehabilitation, Standridge defied the odds and made an astounding recovery. However, Standridge soon lost
Left: Colton Standridge, ’18, criminal justice and criminology, has been a fire fighter for the Nicholson Area Volunteer Fire Department for three years. Here, he is shown with one of his station’s tanker trucks.
– Colton Standridge, ’18
Colton Standridge with Amber “Skye” Hill, ‘24, information technology, who recently required his assistance with an asthma attack.
his grandfather to a heart attack and an uncle to cancer.
“These traumatic events changed my future,” he said. “The firefighters who responded after my accident became like family to me, and I knew then that I had a calling to join them.”
And join them, he did. Today, as a member of the Nicholson Area Volunteer Fire Department, Standridge works alongside the men who came to his aid when he needed it the most.
It is a busy station, responding to multiple calls a day. Standridge cites time management as one of his biggest challenges as he juggles his college coursework with his fire station duties. He said the one attribute that helps in both areas is self-awareness.
“I try to avoid tunnel vision and focus on the 360-degree picture,” he said. “Listening to all the information that I receive from dispatch and my commanding officer is critical and this carries over to my school work as well.”
A criminal justice/criminology major, Standridge plans to graduate in fall 2018 and pursue a career as an agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives or the Drug Enforcement Administration. He has a particular interest in finding ways to reduce underage drinking, something he has personally witnessed among young people in his community.
“I’m here for a reason,” he said. “I believe I can make a difference.”
Standridge points to Hill’s asthma attack as just one example of why more people should learn first aid and CPR.
“Everyone has a part to play on this Earth,” Standridge said. “Caring for and respecting people you don’t know is important. You just might be in the right place at the right time to make a positive difference in the lives of others.”
