Ava Montondon

Senior Cheyenne Powell helps firefighters during a live burn practice.

Since her freshman year, senior Cheyenne Powell has been working hard with local firefighters in the Junior Firefighter Program.

“Cheyenne is a very motivated student,” health science teacher Tara Parsons said. “She likes to learn about anything medical related and is knowledgeable on the subject of emergency situations. She has been studying and practicing her skills.”

Powell has several family members in the first responder career field.

“My papa, my dad’s dad, is one of the founders of The Little Cypress Fire Department,” Powell said. “My dad is a second-generation volunteer and first-generation Junior Firefighter, which makes me and my twin brother third-generation in the department and second-generation Junior Firefighters.”

Powell has been the president of the Acadian Explorers Program for two years now.

“You build so many relationships with so many different people,” Powell said. “You get to experience a side of life not many people get to experience.”

The EMT career takes a certain kind of person to help others and put themselves in harm’s way.

“I believe you have to be compassionate and patient to be an EMT,” Parsons said. “Being able to understand what the patient is going through or feeling at the moment is going to be the best way to help them in emergency situations.”

Powell is currently enrolled in classes in basic EMT skills and will graduate with that certification.

“You have to be able to think quickly,” Parsons said. “EMT students will be riding along on an ambulance getting exposed to different scenarios. They must be able to rely on their training and make quick decisions under the guidance of the paramedic.”

Pre-requisite classes that are required for EMT are Principles of Health Science and Therapeutic Healthcare.

”Taking my EMT class has been something I have always looked forward to,” Powell said. “When I started the class in August I was thrilled. We start clinicals  in January, where we get to put what we have learned during the first semester to use, before we take our big test for the National Registry in May.”

Powell’s plans outside of high school are to attend LIT in the fall of 2025.

“I plan to get my Paramedic certificate which is a two-year degree,” Powell said. “From there I want to be a flight medic, then do a transfer program into nursing to become a flight nurse.”