NHC student prepares for career transition from full-time telecommunications technician to paramedic

It’s never too late to change. Ever since Gladys McGinnis graduated from Westbury High School in 1976, she’s wanted a medical career. Any time she tried to pursue that dream, time and circumstances have presented roadblocks and her career path veered in another direction.

In the past 28 years, she’s worked in several professions, currently as a network center technician for a telecommunications company and is now only a few years away from retirement.  However, as her industry continues to evolve, McGinnis wanted to be prepared for the possibility that she may not be able to work as long as she planned.

“The work world is a different place,” she said.  “When I started working 27 years ago, most people expected to retire from the company. Today there’s no track from first employment to retirement, so I wanted to keep myself marketable, to make sure if I had to take another path, the work would be enjoyable and fulfilling to me.”

As she was paging through the North Harris College catalog a few years ago, McGinnis was attracted to the classes required for Emergency Medical Services (paramedic) training and contacted Kelly Weller, head of the program.

“When I went to campus, I fell in love with EMS,” said McGinnis. “The class schedule was a perfect fit with my full-time job and I had always wanted a career in patient care. I also was excited about the program because the clinical training involved working in the emergency room as well as on emergency calls, which made EMS the perfect place for me.”

That was two and one-half years ago. After taking the semester-long basic training course, McGinnis will complete the two-year paramedic’s training as well as her associate degree in EMS.

After graduation, her plan is to go to work as a paramedic, part-time, and continue her current employment.  “Long-term, I want to earn a bachelor’s degree either in EMS or biology and from there…well, I don’t know but I feel like the sky’s the limit and it is something I’m real excited about,” she said.
At 44, she was older than many of her classmates, but McGinnis had no misgivings and no doubts about going back to school after an absence of more than two decades. “I knew it was something I wanted to do,” she said.  “I’ve always wanted a job that was more than a job, something that was fulfilling…so I said, ‘I’ve put this on the back burner long enough, so let me go for it.’  When I looked at the program and after my first semester, I was excited.  It was something I really wanted to pursue.”

McGinnis calls her experience at North Harris College “an answer to prayers.”

“When somebody calls 9-1-1, it’s usually a distress situation,” she said, “and knowing you have the training and the expertise to do something to help someone in distress means a lot to me.  It also gives me a chance to make a difference in someone’s life; being able to help when someone needs it most…EMS gives me an opportunity to do that.”

As she’s pursued her dream, McGinnis is appreciative of the support and the encouragement from the EMS faculty.  “I’ve been on other campuses, but because North Harris is smaller, there’s no chance of any student getting lost and the faculty is working in a field they specialize in, which makes them not only knowledgeable but because they love what they do, they communicate that to the students, plus they let us know how much they care about us and really want us to succeed.”

McGinnis calls her training at North Harris “an amazing experience, plus it’s been really enjoyable,” she said.

She is also excited about the future.  “I love what I'll be doing, plus I know I’m prepared to transition into a field I love when the time comes,” she said, “and that peace of mind is invaluable.”