Whatever your emergency, Kenyon students are here to help. Sept. 7 marked the first meeting of the Kenyon College Emergency Medical Services (EMS) volunteer program for the 2025-2026 academic year. Liaisoned by Riley Ragland ’26, the program partners with the Mount Vernon Fire Department (MVFD) to train students in becoming EMS volunteers for the Mount Vernon community. 

Ragland described the program as consisting of two parts. The first is emergency medical technician (EMT) school, which consists of clinical time, training and studying for the practical and written exams of the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians. These sessions are typically held every Monday and Wednesday from 5:45 p.m. to 10 p.m. as well as every third Saturday of the month. Once a student passes their exams, they begin volunteering with the MVFD. There, they operate on a more flexible schedule and are “required to work a certain number of hours a month” according to Ragland. 

Charlotte Harris ’29, a current pre-med student, said that she thinks the program is a “cool opportunity to see if that’s something you want to do in the medical field before choosing something specific if you’re not sure yet.” Grace Farley ’29, another student considering a career in the health field, concurred. “Regardless of being pre-med or not,” she said, “[the program] seems really fun.” 

The program attracts pre-med and non-pre-med students alike, with three-fifths of the participants on the pre-med track. Ragland spoke to its particular usefulness for pre-med students, adding: “[A] lot of us are pre-med students.” Ragland specifically mentioned how it is a “great way to get clinical experience” while working alongside patients. Describing her personal experience in the program as a pre-med student, Ragland remarked, “[The program] made me more dedicated to medicine.” However, she added that all of the participants in the program, regardless of their chosen career path, feel a “calling to care for others.”

From training at the Knox Technical Center to going out on calls with the MVFD to respond to emergencies, the program allows students to become involved with Knox County. Ragland noted that the college experience at Kenyon can be insular, and some students rarely veer far from the “Kenyon bubble.” The program encourages students to “step outside solely thinking of [your] self,” she said. In reference to governmental policies limiting student loan forgiveness as well as other challenges for pre-med students, Ragland mentioned how it can be “easy to become cynical” and “alienate empathy.” However, the program provides the opportunity to have a “lot of small interactions with the community” that have the potential to save lives and bring comfort to those in need, which is what makes the experience of being a volunteer EMT so rewarding. 

Combined with the challenges of pursuing a health profession, the prospect of pursuing a health career as a Kenyon student can be daunting. The volunteer EMS program is one way in which Kenyon students are transforming their relationship with their community — one practice exam, CPR training session and emergency call response at a time.

For any students interested in joining, the third training of the EMS volunteer program is taking place Saturday at 102 E Brooklyn St.