February is National Career and Technical Education Month and Kishwaukee is celebrating by spotlighting students in the CTE fields. Pictured is Evan Froehlich, DeKalb, who is a student in the College’s Emergency Medical Service Program, training to be a Paramedic.
February is National Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month and Kishwaukee College is celebrating by spotlighting students who are enrolled in CTE Programs, like Evan Froehlich. Evan is in the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Program, training to be a Paramedic.
Evan graduated from DeKalb High School in 2014 and came to Kishwaukee College specifically because of the EMS Program. “I have wanted to be a firefighter since I was very little. My father was a Firefighter Paramedic with the DeKalb Fire Department and I always knew I wanted to follow in his footsteps,” he stated. “I took the KEC (Kishwaukee Education Consortium) class during high school and found that I really enjoyed fire science and EMS was the next logical step for me.”
Evan already completed his Basic Operations Fire Fighter Certificate through the Romeoville Fire Academy while completing his general education coursework for the EMS Program. He will complete the Paramedic training at Kishwaukee College in August 2016. Currently he is doing ride-time with the DeKalb Fire Department as well as completing his clinical experience at the Kishwaukee Hospital Emergency Room.
“This semester I ride with DeKalb Fire anywhere from 18-24 hours a week and spend about seven hours a week in the ER. The Paramedic program here is unique because it is one of the few programs in the area to have you do clinical and ride time all throughout the 3 semesters of class,” he explained. “This provides you with great experiences because you get to learn about something one day and do it in the field the next. The program prepares you very well to perform your skills in the field.”
Evan’s instructors – Steven Ernest and Deb Baert – have high praise for his dedication as s student. Steve said, “He is always well prepared for class and truly seems to care about his patients. He seems to have a good solid set of values that are very necessary for being a good paramedic. He only has one and a half years as an EMT, but performs above the level you would expect.” Evan enjoys the expertise his instructors bring to the class as well. “Steve and Deb bring lots of other great instructors in from surrounding Fire Departments, which is nice because we get to hear others’ experiences,” he said.
As 2016 moves forward, Evan plans to complete his coursework and find work in his chosen field as a paramedic. “I will be testing for full-time fire departments in hopes of getting hired as a Firefighter Paramedic.”
Evan Froehlich: one of the many students celebrated during Career and Technical Education Month at Kishwaukee College.
For more information on the EMS Program at Kishwaukee College, contact Steve Ernest, EMS Program Coordinator at 815-756-1521, ext. 153619 or at steve.ernest@kishwaukeecollege.edu.
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