When dispatch starts their report, I am already in my boots and halfway out the door. I heeded a genuine calling to medicine at a young age. Three years ago, I joined my local volunteer ambulance agency’s Youth Corp. Through this position, I have progressed from a youth member to the first 17 year old in my town to become a Nationally Certified Emergency Medical Technician that can independently run emergency response calls. Something that has never changed from my enrollment in the Youth Corps through now is my enjoyment of bedside care and patient connection. Although it can be weighing to be involved in the worst day of someone’s life, it is also rewarding to improve their condition through treatment and engaging in meaningful dialogue. In my time with my ambulance agency, I have worn many different hats. These include being a Youth Observer, a first-place competitor in the Rockland County Drill Team competition in both medical and trauma scenarios, an instructor intern at the Rockland County Fire Training Center, and now an EMT. My service within my community has focused on contributing to the continuously evolving standards of practice. On the surface, the mission of an EMT is to provide immediate, primary medical care for injury or illness and provide transport to the hospital for further evaluation. However, as a youth rider, I quickly learned that an EMT has a much larger obligation and moral duty. One specific emergency medical call left a lasting impression on me. I was a brand new EMT, responding to a stabbing that resulted from domestic abuse. I could have never imagined the emotional and physical pain my patient was experiencing. The patient was attempting to leave an abusive relationship to create a better life for herself and her son. I was able to assist this patient with filing a police report and restraining order against her abuser to prevent this domestic assault from reoccurring. We provided the patient and family with a social worker and counselor. This case led me to conduct research on community and state resources for those affected by domestic and or marital abuse. To bring equality in serving the underserved is to be an advocate for discrimination and social injustices. Advocating for those who are afraid to speak up is essential to ending the trauma many women endure. The growth and adaptability that I have experienced through being an EMT are unwavering. The interpersonal skills and ability to connect with individuals at times of hardship is a skill I couldn't have learned anywhere else. I have met an array of individuals during hundreds of calls. Some patients I see every week, and some never again. I learn something different from each patient, and this has strengthened my ability to connect with various types of people in different stages of health.