How many people know what they want to do when they grow up, especially as young as in the second grade? How many people stick to that dream and make it happen? Abraham Hernandez is one such person, and with the help of the Glendale Community College (GCC) Public Safety Science (PSS) program, he is living his dream, and then some.
Abraham graduated from Deer Valley High School and set his sights on GCC, working initially on core classes, while always keeping an eye towards his passion. After taking some time to explore various academic paths, he shifted his focus to PSS and graduated with an Associate of Arts degree and an Associate of Applied Science degree. He enrolled in the PSS EMT program, where he met the first of several mentors, Rainier Perez. As the EMT instructor and former battalion chief in the Albuquerque Fire Department, Rainier helped guide Abraham throughout his time at GCC.
Abraham graduated from the EMT program and earned his certification, after that he took Firefighter 1 and 2 courses, paramedic training, as well as hazardous materials training, all at GCC. It is worth noting that Abraham is the first person in his family to graduate from college and he is the first person in his family to work in fire service. Which means he had to figure out a lot of things on his own. “The faculty and staff at GCC helped guide me, and kept me focused. They knew what I wanted to do and they did everything they could to help me achieve it.” Stated Abraham.
As an engineer and paramedic for the Yavapai County Fire Consortium (YCFC), he loves the opportunity to serve the needs of the community. “We don’t have all the resources and proximity to support that big city departments have, so we have to be better at what we do because we need to be self-sufficient. We deal with structure fires, wildfires, hazmat situations and trauma cases. The latter can be challenging considering the closest Level 1 Trauma Center is forty-five minutes away.” Abraham frankly stated.
The drive to serve and give back has motivated Abraham to help the next generation of firefighters and paramedics by becoming an adjunct faculty member in GCC’s PSS program. He just started his first semester as an instructor and is thrilled to help students pursue their passion. “I look out at my classroom and see students who are just like I was at that age…eager, passionate and happy to be there.” Said Abraham. When asked about what it was like to teach he quickly replied. “I love being an instructor! I know that it is making me more knowledgeable because I am getting questions I’ve never thought about. In a way, I am continuing my education in my role as an adjunct.”
One of the roles he is most proud of is serving on the YCFC Honor Guard. “We attend memorial services for those who have fallen in the line of duty, but more importantly, we are there to comfort and support the family members."
Thank you, Abraham, for all you do, for the sacrifices you make, and for being a Proud Gaucho.