Blinn Paramedic Program recognizes 20 graduates with pinning ceremony

Real-world scenarios prepare students to serve the community and save lives

December 15, 2022

The Blinn College District Paramedic Program recently welcomed 20 new graduates to the profession during a pinning ceremony held at the Blinn RELLIS Administration Building at Texas A&M-RELLIS.

Each graduate earned their paramedic technology certificate or Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Associate in Applied Science degree, which qualifies them for entry-level paramedic positions and can be applied toward a bachelor’s degree.

Blinn’s Paramedic Program includes basic and clinical emergency medical technician, emergency pharmacology, clinical emergency medical services, trauma management, cardiology, medical emergencies, and EMS operations. Program graduates are prepared for certification or licensure by the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) and the Texas Department of State Health Services.

“These graduates are invaluable first responders equipped with the skills and training to save lives,” Program Director Zack Varner said. “The state-of-the-art simulation labs at Texas A&M-RELLIS, prepare them for a wide-variety of emergency situations and students complete this program with the tools to safeguard their patients.”

Blinn’s Paramedic Program is based at the RELLIS Academic Alliance Complex at Texas A&M-RELLIS in Bryan, where students gain hands-on skills utilizing the facility’s 16,000-square-foot simulation laboratories.

The fall 2022 graduating class includes: Mikaella Barnett (Spring), Zachary Bezner (Okinawa, Japan), Aaron Clark (Wheelock), Neely Cole (Grand Rapids, Mich.), Ashley Dillard (Elk City, Okla.), Franciso Garcia (Eagle Pass), Laurel Heath (The Woodlands), Viviana Herrera (Montgomery), Justin Hyatt, Destiny Lafferty (Willis), Erin Lawson (The Woodlands), Taylor McGillivray (Atmore, Ala.), Layce Reeves (Floresville), Natalie Riojas (Bryan), Michelle Rodriguez, Michael Rutledge (Chunky, Miss.), Michaela Smith (Fort Worth), James Taylor (College Station), Esteban Torrez (Harlingen), and Trey Urech (Katy).

Students who complete the program have numerous employment opportunities and options to continue their education.

“Blinn’s program taught me new technical skills and I loved how fast-paced it was,” class valedictorian Laurel Heath said. “The instructors also were wonderful and I feel really prepared to go back to my position at Montgomery County Hospital District, where I’m looking forward to using my training to work with some excellent providers and be the best practitioner possible.”

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the national demand for EMTs and paramedics is expected to grow 7% between 2021 and 2031 with a median salary of $36,930 per year. Texas has the highest employment level for paramedics in the United States. 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/emergency-medical-services.