Higher Education
Life-Saving Skills:
EMT Classes Coming to Wylie Campus t was a life or death moment that Olivia Bullock will never forget. The patient could not breathe on her own. When the clinical nurse asked Bullock to “bag” the patient she experienced a moment of selfdoubt, but her adrenaline kicked in, and she put her Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) training to good use. “It was scary because you are breathing for another person,” Bullock said. “But I’ve been taught so well. I helped keep that person alive and definitely made a difference in that person’s life.” Bullock used a bag valve mask (BVM) to “bag” the patient and provide the proper amount of life-giving air. She learned that and many other skills as a Lovejoy High School dual credit student who earned high school and Collin College credit simultaneously. Today she is in Collin College’s fast-track paramedic program. This spring, she will graduate with an Associate of Applied Science degree in Emergency Medical Services Professions. “I like being a first responder. I will be first on the scene to help people,” she said. Bullock is excited that EMT classes will soon be available at the new Wylie Campus, which will open this fall. “Collin College’s EMT program changed my life,” she said. “Instead of going to a four-year university, I decided to earn my associate degree at Collin College and get my career started now.” Fast-track to a medical military career Lee DeRose was reluctant to start taking college classes in high school. Today he is glad he did. DeRose’s EMT classes put him ahead of his peers and fast tracked him into his current career –combat medic in the Army. “The Collin College instructors are really good and very knowledgeable,” said DeRose, who took EMT classes at Wylie East High School. “We had lots of hands-on learning.” The dual credit EMT classes made a large difference in the beginning of DeRose’s military career. 20 • The CONNECTION • April/May 2020
Photo by Nick Young, Collin College photographer.
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By Heather Darrow
Olivia Bullock enrolled in the paramedic program at Collin College.
“I already had my EMT certification, so I accelerated six weeks ahead,” he said. “I knew what was going on, and that made the Army-oriented medicine easier to understand.” Like Bullock, DeRose is glad that EMT classes will be available at the new Wylie Campus. He believes that everyone in his hometown could benefit from taking EMT classes. “I highly recommend taking these classes even if you aren’t going into the medical field,” DeRose said. “These are good skills to know. If someone needs help, you don’t have to wait for the ambulance to come.” As a combat medic, DeRose is prepared for any eventuality. “I love what I am doing now,” DeRose said. “Not only do I get to be in the Army, but I have knowledge, and I am always ready to help somebody.” For more information about Collin College’s Wylie Campus, visit www.collin.edu/campuses/wylie. •
