In 2018, after 37 years of public service as a paramedic and fire chief, my passion for serving the community had not diminished. An opportunity soon arose at our school district’s career and technical education center, where I stepped into a role as a firefighting instructor. The position also grew from an initiative I had the privilege of supporting and advocating for locally, statewide, and nationally.

My teaching moment involves a student with multiple daily outbursts. Days weren’t perfect but I vividly recall contacting the student’s father. After introducing myself, he asked, “What happened?” Explaining my call was to thank him for allowing me the opportunity to teach his child, the father began weeping and said that in all of his child’s years of school, my call was the first of that nature. That student completed school and was recognized as the most improved student in their class.

The monetary award would be deposited to the financial account of FIRE (Friends In Responder Education), a 501 (c) 3 organization whose purpose is to benefit and to support the Firefighting Program of the Donaldson Career Center a Career and Technical Education Center of the Greenville School District.