(Baton Rouge) – Urban Restoration Enhancement Corporation’s (UREC) is pleased to present the first graduating class of the College & Career Ready Emergency Medical Responder (EMR) Institute. The graduates, all Baton Rouge area high school students, obtained Emergency Medical Responder certification through the National EMS Academy (NEMSA) upon their successful completion of the 10-week EMR Institute.
The purpose of the institute was to prepare Baton Rouge high school students desiring careers in emergency medical response, nursing or other health care-related fields with training and experience. NEMSA facilitated all coursework, which taught vital life saving techniques, basic life support, and trauma response. Participants also learned about different career paths during paid worksite visits and had the opportunity to shadow emergency responders. Some of the worksite partners included, ExxonMobil, Pennington Medical Research, and CORE Occupational Medicine.
UREC’s 2018 College & Career Ready EMR Institute graduates are:
- Keshawn Allen, Valedictorian
- Diovionne Bynum
- Reanna Compton
- A’Maya Cornelius
- Alaina Gay
- Kassedi Harris
- LaDainia Sparks
UREC held a graduation and pinning ceremony for the College & Career Ready EMR Institute graduates on June 13, 2018 at Southern University College of Nursing & Allied Health. Dr. Jacqueline Hill, Associate Dean of Southern University’s College of Nursing & Allied Health, delivered the keynote address. David Finley, Education Coordinator with NEMSA and EMR Institute Instructor, provided a course overview. Class valedictorian Keshawn Allen spoke on behalf of the graduates.
The event culminated with a ceremonial pinning; each graduate was pinned by a family member with a lapel pin bearing the star of life—a symbol for emergency medical services.
Photo: Front (sitting L-R) Keshawn Allen, Reanna Compton and A’Maya Cornelius. Back (standing L-R) Raquel Valverde, EMR Institute Site Coordinator, Dr. Jacqueline Hill, Diovionne Bynum, LaDainia Sparks, Kassedi Harris, Alaina Gay, Kathryn Robinson, UREC Program Director and David Finley.
View photos from the graduation and work site visits on Facebook.