Gabrielle Hernandez: Following Her Dream

August 4, 2021

Practicing medicine has always been a dream of mine. I had no idea where I wanted to start and didn’t know specifically how I wanted to achieve this goal. I knew I needed to get patient contact hours and I always had a passion for helping people. I saw Motlow State was offering a summer course in Emergency Medical Services (EMS), so I decided to take a leap of faith and register for it. This was probably the best decision I have ever made. I gained experience, friends, and a new family in EMS.

I chose Motlow State because I have heard many great things about the College. Financially, it was the best decision for me. I was able to use the Tennessee Promise Scholarship as well as the Honors Scholarship for my Associate Degree.

I initially graduated from Motlow’s Smyrna campus with my Associate Degree in May of 2020. I went back to Motlow’s McMinnville campus that summer to get my EMT-B certification. Soon, I will complete Advanced EMT school at Motlow.

I found my calling and my passion with working in emergency medicine and with traumas. One of my instructors once told us a quote from Norman Swain, “Our patients didn’t choose us, we choose to treat them” and that quote has continued to remind me why I do this job. 

I am currently pursuing a Bachelor Degree at MTSU with a major in Biology (concentration in Genetics and Biotechnology) and a minor in Chemistry. I also work as the need arises with Cannon County and am about to start a new job with Ascension’s new trauma program. 

After graduation from Motlow, it was easy to find employment! Motlow’s EMS Faculty members, Kenny Moffitt and Houston Austin, are incredible with preparing us for clinicals that are required for the EMS program. They always told us that going to clinical is like going to an interview with that station. I was able to start at Cannon County immediately after I received my official EMT-B license with the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians and the state of Tennessee. I am very grateful for the opportunities that the EMS program at Motlow has provided. 

This program was my favorite part of attending Motlow. I was very fortunate to have many amazing professors, especially in the Honors program. One professor, John Hart, I had three classes with. He stood out to me because he made sure everyone understood the material, provided a fun learning experience, and always provided us with opportunities to come talk to him if we needed anything. I always looked forward to coming to class and would constantly recommend him to anyone asking for a professor recommendation. 

My education with Motlow provided me with an easy transition from high school to higher education. Also, the class sizes are much smaller than larger universities, which provided more one-on-one time and attention from the professors.  Motlow provided many opportunities for me with academics, honors, and financial help during my attendance. I recommend to everyone graduating high school to attend Motlow because it provided me with a great transition from high school to higher education, as well as not having to worry and stress out about financial burdens from college debt. 

I remember my EMT experiences the most at Motlow. I was fortunate to have an amazing class with people who I grew as a family with. We were always there for each other to talk about any calls we went on and to help process them. We were all going through similar situations to achieve our end goals and wanted the best for each other. 

I would definitely recommend Motlow to anyone looking to go to college. Motlow was the best financial and academic choice I could’ve made with going to college straight out of high school. I highly recommend the EMS program as well. This program has shaped me into the person I am today and made sure I was fully prepared to enter the career field.