Through much of her childhood, Sarah Rondel got a close-up view of her father’s work as a paramedic.
Paul Rondel served with the Macon County EMS for more than 20 years before passing away in 2022 after a grueling bout with liver cancer.
“I was around him all the time, and he always came home in that paramedic uniform,” said the younger Rondel, who’s now a senior at Franklin High School. “The family they had at that base as a team of paramedics was always awesome. I always thought that was something special. They treated me like I was one of their own as well. It was always heartfelt for him, saving lives and making a difference. People come up to me all the time and say, ‘Your dad saved my life.’
“My mom (Tammy Nichols) is also in the medical field as an RN, so I thought about following in my parents’ footsteps and making a difference in the world if I can somehow,” she added. “Saving lives really gives me that heartfelt fulfillment.”
So when Southwestern Community College announced it would offer an Emergency Medical Technician pathway at Franklin High this past fall, Rondel was elated.
“I was like a little kid in a candy store, excited,” she recalled. “It was offered not too long after my father died. I was like, ‘Wow, this is really awesome, an opportunity to follow in his footsteps.’ I was just ready to get started. I was excited for clinicals and what the class had to offer.”
Along with 11 of her schoolmates, Rondel spent third and fourth periods on Mondays through Fridays studying about emergency medicine at Franklin High throughout the fall semester.
The class is primarily taught by Diana Cabe. Overseeing and organizing the class has been Eric Hester, Emergency Medical Services Program Director at SCC.
“I’ve been extremely pleased with these students’ enthusiasm,” Hester said. “A lot of these young men and women will one day soon be riding in ambulances and saving lives in the communities we serve. I’m very proud of all of them, and I hope we can expand this program into some of the other public schools in Jackson, Macon, Swain Counties and the Qualla Boundary.”
Another student, Lillian Whitesides, said she had long wanted an opportunity to get into the medical field.
“We’ve learned a lot,” she said. “I’ve enjoyed being in clinicals and feeling like I’m making a difference.”
To enroll in the EMT program, students need to turn 17 by the last day of class and also possess a reading comprehension score of at least the 11th grade level.
Students receive a minimum of 192 hours of didactic training and 48 hours of clinical training, and they’re eligible to sit for the North Carolina Office of EMS (NCOEMS) EMT Certification exam.
“It’s been a pretty cool experience, honestly,” Rondel said. “I love the learning, the teamwork, the efforts we get to put in. Being able to have this as a senior in high school is awesome because it gives you a step forward in order to come to college and continue your courses. It also gives you a good foundation if you want to be a firefighter or go into a different public safety field.”
For more information about the EMS program at SCC, contact Hester at ehester@SouthwesternCC.edu or 828.339.4277.
