Zara's Story, Spring 2025

I didn't have too much of a traditional professor that I'm about to talk about, but it was my EMT supervisor, program director, professor. And this was before I had any clinical experience at all, so I was trying to get into it. It was a pretty rigorous program, but it was probably one of the best periods of my life. I took that whole summer to learn and immerse myself in that clinical care. Even though it was technically learning, it was, like, the best learning I've ever had. It wasn't like sitting down and listening to lectures, or someone standing at a podium and grading research papers. It was not really a traditional experience for me, but that's what made his impact so powerful. I think he taught in a way that met students where they were at and with patience, persistence, and genuine care. And for someone like me, who is balancing being a full-time student, and I had a job at the time, also, when I was in school, so it just meant everything to have somebody who accounted for all those things. I am also a person; I also have things going on, but somebody believes in me in that aspect, which was very powerful.

And I would say when I first entered the EMT program, I was excited, but also exhausted. That summer I was trying to manage my own health and work and maximize my summer. It was the summer after my freshman year, so it was my first college summer break. I didn't always walk into that classroom being the most extroverted, confident, ball of energy. Some days, things didn't click, and my hands would shake during some scenarios, and it was all new to me. So, even if I reviewed a protocol ten times, and it vanished the moment I was called on, he still never gave up on me, which was just another thing of having that mentor in your life that just believes in you. And, it's the most encouraging thing. So, I would say, that being said, there's a specific kind of mentorship that changes you.

I would say that my supervisor helped me reclaim my confidence at a time that I desperately needed it. I had a lot of imposter syndrome happening at that time. I was, like, I don't know, I'm doing all these things that an emergency responder would do, but I don't feel like it yet. I was doubting myself, but he helped me reclaim that confidence, and he reminded me that in medicine, it's not always a person who learns things the fastest that becomes the best provider. It's the one who keeps showing up, the one that stays humble, the one that listens deeply and never loses sight of the human being in front of them. Cause it's a good thing to learn quickly and adapt quickly, which I can also do in scenarios, as well. But, just actually dedicating your life to what you do is the most important part of it.

I like to think of myself as a hands-on learner, a visual learner. I like to do things, and it's hard to do things and learn if nobody believes in you. So, I think having that mentor to be there to push you, to believe in you, is just so important in any type of mentor-mentee relationship. I think that it's really powerful to have a mentor in your life, whether that's a teacher or, you know, even an older sibling or even a parent, just guiding you through these things in your life and kind of helping you find that self-awareness, so that you can better yourself and grow as a person. I think that's really important.