I was born in Virginia, about 30 miles from where I was raised in WV. I graduated high school in 1999 and joined the West Virginia Army National Guard. While in the military, I served my state and community during natural disasters and stood guard after the terrorist attacks on 11 September 2001. After my military service, I was encouraged to help others during their times of need and to keep them safe. I trained and earned my National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians certification and worked full-time in EMS for five years. I keep my certification updated and run calls part time. In 2021 and 2022, I trained and earned my certifications in Firefighter 1 and 2. I am a volunteer firefighter for Union Community Volunteer Fire Department and am on the Technical Rescue Team at Lewisburg Fire Department; both in West Virginia. I am currently employed at the Greenbrier Resort as a security officer and firefighter. I volunteer because, without volunteer firefighters, there would be no one to help others in times of crisis. There are so many reasons that I love firefighting. The range of what we do is so broad and diverse; between the fire calls, motor vehicle accidents, technical rescue and serious medical calls, we have the routine calls. The calls where the most important job is consoling a scared child, or their parents. There are calls where an elderly person is just lonely. I remember when I first became an EMT, there was was an elderly gentleman that called multiple times a week. He would tell the dispatcher that his oxygen tank wasn't working; usually what we found is that the oxygen tubing had somehow been removed from the oxygen machine. The man was just lonely and needed to know that someone cared. Those calls, as routine as they be, can be just as rewarding as the ones they make our hearts race. The adrenaline rush on the big fire calls and technical rescue calls is great and all of the calls are important. Yes, I love the adrenaline rush of the "big ones", but the routine can be just as rewarding. What we do, no matter the severity of the call can make the difference between life or death; or it mean the difference between someone having a bad day versus the worst day they could imagine. I volunteer because I want to help others; but I love firefighting for all that it is, the hard days, the easy days and everything in between.

Growing up in rural West Virginia, one of the poorest states in the United States, I was raised with two brothers. Both of our parents worked, and neither had ever gone to college. My father earned his General Education Diploma after dropping out of high school. My mother discontinued her education in her eleventh year of high school but never pursued further education. Both of my parents worked hard to provide for me and my brothers. Neither of my siblings completed high school, instead they went to work in landscaping and construction. Due to my family’s inexperience with higher education, I had very little guidance in preparing for my future. I joined the West Virginia Army National Guard during my senior year of high school and planned to attend college. I applied to Virginia Military Institute and Georgia Military College; I loved the military and have often wished I would have enlisted as an active-duty soldier. Again, I did not have a lot of guidance except from the Army National Guard recruiter. Unfortunately, my parents did not like the idea of me moving away to pursue a military career. When the schools that I had applied to called to touch base with me, my parents would answer the phone and reply that they had no interest in me attending those schools. Due to not being able to attend the colleges that I applied to, I became disheartened. I worked different jobs, trying to find my place in the world. I served in local missions with the Army National Guard and guarded vital areas after the 9/11 attacks. After I was discharged (honorably) from the military, I felt even more lost. Then, my older brother passed away in a horrific car accident soon after which devastated my family. I moved back to my hometown and found work at the local airport fueling and marshaling aircraft and trained in Airport Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF). I knew I wanted to better myself and to help people. So, I attended Marshall University in Huntington, WV and earned my Associate’s of Applied Science Degree as a Physical Therapist Assistant while working two jobs. Soon after graduation, my apartment was robbed. Everything that was of any value had been stolen. With all of the money I had saved to take my certification boards, I had to rebuild and replace things, including food, that had been taken. Due to the cost of living and small income, by the time I was able to save enough money for my certifications, I was sure that I had forgotten some of what I had learned. After a few years, I decided to join the local fire department as a volunteer. I fell in love with firefighting and from there, I took some night classes and became a Nationally Registered Emergency Medical Technician. I worked as a full time EMT for five years and earned my Firefighter 1 and Firefighter 2 certifications. I now work as a security officer and firefighter for the Greenbrier Hotel and Resort. At the hotel, I perform security work and respond to fire, medical and other emergencies. I also respond to situations that involve domestic violence, theft and publicly intoxicated guests. I also patrol the buildings and property to ensure security and perform fire watch duties to ensure the safety of hotel employees and guests. I enjoy helping others and have found that what I have been seeking is something rewarding. I find helping and protecting others is something that I am passionate about and would like to continue helping and protecting others on a larger scale. I am now a full-time student at American Military University pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Homeland Security and Emergency and Disaster Management. I plan to use my education and experience to prevent and deter potential acts of terrorism and to mitigate natural and man-made disasters. Additionally, I will use what I learn to keep others safe and secure and respond to help disaster survivors rebuild after such events. My experience in serving my community as a soldier, firefighter and EMT has inspired me to pursue my Bachelors Degree in Emergency and Disaster Management and Homeland Security. I also plan to further my education by earning my Masters Degree in Intelligence and National Security. I will utilize my education at American Military University to continue to serve my community, state and country by providing the necessary tools and skills needed to sustain and protect the lives of others. I hope that with education, experience and motivation, I will better understand fully the details of what it takes to be effective and successful in the Emergency Planning process in the field of Emergency Management/ Homeland Security. I also plan to continue work as a volunteer firefighter and still serve my local community while working to protect and help others on a larger scale.

Hello, my name is Shelly Buckland. I am pursuing a bachelor’s degree in emergency and Disaster Management. I am very excited about returning to school and look forward to learning new things. I was born in Virginia, about 30 miles from where I was raised in WV. I graduated high school in 1999 and joined the West Virginia Army National Guard. While in the military, I served my state and community during natural disasters and stood guard after the terrorist attacks on 11 September 2001. After my military service, I was encouraged to help others during their times of need and to keep them safe. I trained and earned my National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians certification and worked full-time in EMS for five years. I keep my certification updated and run calls part time. In 2021 and 2022, I trained and earned my certifications in Firefighter 1 and 2. I am a volunteer firefighter for Union Community Volunteer Fire Department and am on the Technical Rescue Team at Lewisburg Fire Department; both in West Virginia. I am currently employed at the Greenbrier Resort as a security officer and firefighter. I enjoy helping others and have found that what I have been seeking is something rewarding. I find helping and protecting others is something that I am passionate about. I am now a full-time student at American Military University pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Homeland Security and Emergency and Disaster Management. I plan to use my education and experience to prevent and deter potential acts of terrorism and to mitigate natural and man-made disasters. Additionally, I will use what I learn to keep others safe and secure and to help disaster survivors rebuild after such events. My experience in serving my community as a soldier, firefighter and EMT has inspired me to pursue my Bachelors Degree in Emergency and Disaster Management and Homeland Security. I also plan to further my education by earning my Masters Degree in Emergency and Disaster Management and Homeland Security. I will utilize my education at American Military University to continue to serve my community, state and country by providing the necessary tools and skills needed to sustain and protect the lives of others. I hope that with this degree, I will better understand fully the details of what it takes to be successful in the Emergency Planning process and the protection of others while in the field of Emergency Management and Homeland Security.

Hello, my name is Shelly Buckland. I am pursuing a bachelor’s degree in emergency and Disaster Management. I am very excited about returning to school and look forward to learning new things. I was born in Virginia, about 30 miles from where I was raised in WV. I graduated high school in 1999 and joined the West Virginia Army National Guard. While in the military, I served my state and community during natural disasters and stood guard after the terrorist attacks on 11 September 2001. After my military service, I was encouraged to help others during their times of need and to keep them safe. I trained and earned my National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians certification and worked full-time in EMS for five years. I keep my certification updated and run calls part time. In 2021 and 2022, I trained and earned my certifications in Firefighter 1 and 2. I am a volunteer firefighter for Union Community Volunteer Fire Department and am on the Technical Rescue Team at Lewisburg Fire Department; both in West Virginia. I am currently employed at the Greenbrier Resort as a security officer and firefighter. I enjoy helping others and have found that what I have been seeking is something rewarding. I find helping and protecting others is something that I am passionate about. I am now a full-time student at American Military University pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Homeland Security and Emergency and Disaster Management. I plan to use my education and experience to prevent and deter potential acts of terrorism and to mitigate natural and man-made disasters. Additionally, I will use what I learn to keep others safe and secure and to help disaster survivors rebuild after such events. My experience in serving my community as a soldier, firefighter and EMT has inspired me to pursue my Bachelors Degree in Emergency and Disaster Management and Homeland Security. I also plan to further my education by earning my Masters Degree in Emergency and Disaster Management and Homeland Security. I will utilize my education at American Military University to continue to serve my community, state and country by providing the necessary tools and skills needed to sustain and protect the lives of others. I hope that with this course, I will better understand fully the details of what it takes to be successful in the Emergency Planning process in the field of Emergency Management/ Homeland Security.

Growing up in rural West Virginia, one of the poorest states in the United States, I was raised with two brothers. Both of our parents worked, and neither had ever gone to college. My father earned his General Education Diploma after dropping out of high school. My mother discontinued her education in her eleventh year of high school but never pursued further education. Both of my parents worked hard to provide for me and my brothers. Neither of my siblings completed high school, instead they went to work in landscaping and construction. Due to my family’s inexperience with higher education, I had very little guidance in preparing for my future. I joined the West Virginia Army National during my senior year of high school and planned to attend college. I applied to Virginia Military Institute and Georgia Military College; I loved the military and have often wished I would have enlisted as an active-duty soldier. Again, I did not have a lot of guidance except from the recruiter. Unfortunately, my parents did not like the idea of me moving away to pursue a military career. When the schools that I had applied to called to touch base with me, my parents would answer the phone and reply that they had no interest in me attending those schools. Due to not being able to attend the colleges that I applied to, I became disheartened. I worked different jobs, trying to find my place in the world. I served in local missions with the Army National Guard and guarded vital areas after the 9/11 attacks. After I was discharged (honorably) from the military, I felt even more lost. Then, my older brother passed away in a horrific car accident soon after which devastated my family. I moved back to my hometown and found work at the local airport fueling and marshaling aircraft and trained in Airport Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF). I knew I wanted to better myself and to help people. So, I attended Marshall University in Huntington, WV and earned my Associate’s of Applied Science Degree as a Physical Therapist Assistant while working two jobs. Soon after graduation, my apartment was robbed. Everything that was of any value had been stolen. With all of the money I had saved to take my certification boards, I had to rebuild and replace things, including food, that had been taken. Due to the cost of living and small income, by the time I was able to save enough money for my certifications, I was sure that I had forgotten some of what I had learned. After a few years, I decided to join the local fire department as a volunteer. I fell in love with firefighting and from there, I took some night classes and became a Nationally Registered Emergency Medical Technician. I worked as a full time EMT for five years and earned my Firefighter 1 and Firefighter 2 certifications. I now work as a security officer and firefighter for the Greenbrier Hotel. I enjoy helping others and have found that what I have been seeking is something rewarding. I find helping and protecting others is something that I am passionate about. I am now a full-time student at American Military University pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Homeland Security and Emergency and Disaster Management. I plan to use my education and experience to prevent and deter potential acts of terrorism and to mitigate natural and man-made disasters. Additionally, I will use what I learn to keep others safe and secure and to help disaster survivors rebuild after such events.

Growing up in rural West Virginia, one of the poorest states in the United States, I was raised with two brothers. Both of our parents worked, and neither had ever gone to college. My father earned his General Education Diploma after dropping out of high school. My mother discontinued her education in her eleventh year of high school but never pursued further education. Both of my parents worked hard to provide for me and my brothers. Due to my family’s inexperience with higher education, I had very little guidance in preparing for my future. I joined the West Virginia Army National during my senior year of high school and planned to attend college. I applied to Virginia Military Institute and Georgia Military College; I loved the military and have often wished I would have enlisted as an active-duty soldier. Again, I did not have a lot of guidance except from the recruiter. I believed I could attend a military college and graduate as a commissioned officer. Unfortunately, my parents did not agree with the path that I had chosen. They did not like the idea of me moving away to pursue a military career. When the schools that I had applied to called to touch base with me, my parents would answer the phone and reply that they had no interest in me attending those schools. Due to not being able to attend the colleges that I applied to, I became disheartened. I worked different jobs, trying to find my place in the world. I served in state and federal missions with the Army National Guard and guarded vital areas after the 9/11 attacks. After I was discharged (honorably) from the military, I felt even more lost. Then, my older brother passed away in a horrific car accident soon after which devastated my family. I moved back to my hometown and found work at the local airport fueling and marshaling aircraft and trained in Airport Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF). I knew I wanted to better myself and to help people. So, I attended Marshall University in Huntington, WV and earned my Associate’s of Applied Science Degree as a Physical Therapist Assistant while working two jobs. Soon after graduation, my apartment was robbed. With all of the money I had saved to take my certification boards, I had to rebuild and replace things, including food, that had been taken. Due to the cost of living and small income, by the time I was able to save enough money for my certifications, I was sure that I had forgotten some of what I had learned. After a few years, I decided to join the local fire department as a volunteer. I fell in love with firefighting and from there, I took some night classes and became a Nationally Registered Emergency Medical Technician. I worked as a full time EMT for five years and earned my Firefighter 1 and Firefighter 2 certifications. I now work as a security officer and firefighter for the Greenbrier Hotel. I enjoy helping others and have found that what I have been seeking is something rewarding. I find helping and protecting others is something that I am passionate about. I am now a full-time student at American Military University pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Homeland Security and Emergency and Disaster Management. Even though I am now in my forties, I plan to use my education and experience to potential acts of terrorism and to mitigate natural and man-made disasters. Additionally, I will use what I learn to help disaster survivors rebuild after such events.