BLINN PARAMEDIC PROGRAM RECOGNIZES GRADUATES
The Blinn College Paramedic Program honored 22 new graduates Saturday, during a pinning ceremony held on the Blinn-Bryan Campus.
Each graduate earned their paramedic technology certificate or Emergency Medical Services Associate in Applied Science degree, which qualifies them for entry-level paramedic positions and can be applied toward a bachelor’s degree.
Program Director Zack Varner, said program graduates “are leaving Blinn prepared to save lives.”
Varner says, “In addition to the hands-on training students receive, they get to train alongside a team of highly experienced professionals.”
This year’s graduating class includes: Mark Atkins (Crandall), Edward Bass (San Diego), Carl Wyatt Bishop (College Station), Garrett Bynum (Friendswood), Jennica Childers (Bellville), Jennifer Harvey (Humble), Schuyler Holcomb (Wimberley), Shelby Kimble (Aruba), Charla Leopold (Thorndale), Adam Lopez (Houston), Kristin Newsom (College Station), Dustin Palmore (Wellborn), Caleb Reed (Mansfield), Valarie Renter (Wellborn), Doady Rogers (Waldeck), Natasha Rondao (Austin), Jacqueline Schaefer (Houston), Crystal Smith (Corpus Christi), Jake Taylor (Abilene), Danielle Vacek (Katy), Justin Ward (Humble), and Kyle White (Marion).
Holcomb, a firefighter with the Bryan Fire Department, attributes the success of his graduating class to the program’s seasoned instructors and rigorous, hands-on coursework.
“My favorite aspect of the program is the instructors,” Holcomb said. “They have such a passion for teaching and ensuring we understand the instruction. EMS is not just a simple diagnosis and treatment. This program teaches us to care for patients as though they were our family.”
Paramedics are highly recruited in the region, with employment projected to grow 26.1 percent between 2014 and 2024, according to Workforce Solutions Brazos Valley. Paramedic salaries can range from $34,000 to $50,000. Graduates who pass their certification and licensure exams are eligible to work in the ambulance service industry, local governments, outpatient care centers, and hospitals.
Blinn’s Paramedic Program is part of the Emergency Medical Services Program, which offers emergency medical technician and paramedic training. For more information, visit www.blinn.edu/twe/ems.