Jimmy and Wendy had been EMT-B for years and enjoy caring for people when needed. They decided they both wanted to pursue becoming Paramedics, as that would help further their careers and allow them to provide a higher level of care.
With both husband and wife going back to college, the cost was above what they could afford. Even though they were able to obtain Pell grants, scholarships, and Future for Frontliners assistance, they were still a little short some semesters. Thanks to a referral from the North Central Michigan College Financial Aid Department, they were able to connect with Michigan Works! MiLEAP Navigator Wendy Kitchen to discuss possible tuition assistance via the MiLEAP program.
Wendy Kitchen explained the program and enrolled them, providing the additional tuition assistance they needed. Thanks to the MiLEAP program, the couple is one step closer to their goals!
Jimmy and Wendy are thankful for the assistance they received, and share this:
“The biggest lesson we learned was that persistence does pay off, and working as a team through the tougher classes helped to make us successful students. Although we are older adults, we seemed to fit in with our classmates, and were able to share some of our knowledge and experiences with them.
One of the biggest things during our journey, was that we did it together. We finished the Paramedic program and general education classes. We will be receiving our Applied Science Associates Degree, December 15. We plan on walking across the stage, together, May 5. We plan to take our state licensing exam in January.
Our goal is going into the new Community Paramedicine Program, which will enable us to help those that need help but are not sick enough to warrant an emergency department visit. We will probably work the for EMS one day a week and maybe even the ER.“