CHULA VISTA, Calif. — The EMT and paramedic programs at Southwestern Community College are breaking barriers to expand the ranks of emergency workers.
Not only do they have partners with local ambulance services to help pay for the classes and internships, but they are building diversity to better represent the communities it serves. The director says the paramedic program just graduated its most diverse cohort of graduates who are working as first responders, which includes women and those from BIPOC communities.
One of the alumnus who is now an instructor says she grew up in Tijuana and always wanted to be a paramedic.
“I always felt a sense of not having a lot of people surrounding me or supporting me since I was a little girl,” said Yasmin Sierra.
She was committed to commuting across the border every day to attend Southwestern College’s EMT and Paramedic program where they get real-life, hands-on training.
“Before I became a paramedic, I noticed that they were having a really hard time communicating with other members of the team because I felt like they couldn’t connect with them,” said Sierra.
She says being a Latina paramedic she feels she is able to provide better care to patients in the South Bay.
“When I became an EMT and a paramedic in the southern border, I was able to have the full experience of connecting with people from Tijuana,” said Sierra.
For Jordan Evans, she left her successful marketing job three years ago to be a paramedic.
“If you show up and you give it your all, and you’re passionate about this, it doesn’t matter who you are, this community will just welcome you like family,” said Evans.
That connection is critical in a field that lacks diversity and on top of that there’s a nationwide shortage of EMT and paramedics.
“When I started here, I’d say it was a traditional paramedic program, mostly White male instructors, mostly White male students,” said Jason Hums, SWC EMT and Paramedic Program Director.
He says building diversity in emergency services is rooted in his family.
“My wife is first generation. She’s an emergency room physician. She’s from Chula Vista. Her parents immigrated from Mexico back in the 60s,” said Hums. “And I have two children. So yeah, it’s very personal.”
Hums says the program has a 100% pass rate and 100% employment after graduation. He says to have a diverse recruiting pool it must start with them.
“It should not start with the ambulance service or the fire department. Because if we don't provide these very intelligent, very qualified diverse personnel, they don't have to pool to hire from and that's our goal,” said Hums.
Sierra is now an instructor and a mentor to young Latinas and says being a paramedic is her calling.
“I feel like being a paramedic is becoming the person that I needed when I was younger by supporting by listening to other people by making them feel heard or seen,” said Sierra.
Southwestern College teamed up with American Medical Response (AMR) for the Earn While Learn Program. The initiative allows AMR to pay for the cost of each student’s tuition, pay a salary and provide healthcare and other benefits.
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