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Special Visitor in Preschool

The preschool class had a special visit last Friday from FCS alumna, Shay Ragsdale.  The preschool class has been learning about Community Helpers.  Shay came to help the children understand what a paramedic does. She explained when to call for help and how to call 911 to get help.  She also showed the class some of the tools of her trade.  The children enjoyed putting on gloves and putting on BIG bandages.  

Shay, a 2013 graduate of FCS, has been studying at Western Carolina University to become a Paramedic.  She will be graduating this spring with a Bachelor’s of Science in Emergency Medical Care with a concentration in Health Management and minoring in Emergency and Disaster Management.  She plans to stay in western North Carolina and continue working at a local EMT location.  

Shay has been very active during her senior year serving as president of Epsilon Sigma Pi.  She has also received several awards this year.  She was awarded the Best Research award at the National EMS conference held in Salt Lake City, Utah for her research dealing with factors that affect the return of spontaneous circulation in cardiac arrest patients. She was also selected as the WCU Student Worker of the Year. In addition to these awards, Shay was selected to receive the J. Bryan Belcher Memorial Award as the Emergency Medical Care Student of the Year. The J. Bryan Belcher Memorial Award is presented each year by Epsilon Sigma Pi, the Professional Emergency Medical Care Society, in memory of one of the founders of the Society. Bryan Belcher was a 1985 graduate of WCU’s Emergency Medical Care Program and a paramedic medivac helicopter pilot for the United States Army who died while responding to an accident scene in 1987. The award recognizes the Emergency Medical Care Student who, in the opinion of his or her program peers and faculty, best exemplifies the qualities of leadership, scholarship, and dedication to serving others.

We are proud of Shay and her accomplishments, and we thank her for taking the time to be a blessing to our preschool students.